CHICAGO -- When it came to their emotions at Wrigley Field on Thursday night, that empty feeling on the scoreboard ran a distant third for the St. Louis Cardinals behind concern and anger.

The Cardinals' 3-0 loss to the rival Cubs started with Matt Holliday's injury and ended with a furious argument between manager Mike Matheny and the umpires near the Cardinals' dugout. Matheny was ejected from the game after it was over because he confronted home plate umpire Dan Bellino about how the official waved away rookie Adams in the ninth inning after a called third strike. Bellino and Matheny exchanged verbal lobs, and Matheny was restrained by crew chief Wally Bell. He made contact with the umpires as they sought to separate him from Bellino.

"It had more to do with the umpire and how he mistreated one of our players," Matheny explained after the game. "It had everything to do with him going too far. You can't take your mask off and motion somebody away. We haven't had any trouble. We haven't been complaining all game long. He wanted to be seen so now he's going to be seen."

The Cardinals can only wait and see on what both Holliday's injury and Matheny's ejection means for who will be in the dugout this weekend.

Holliday, the Cardinals' No. 3 hitter, injured his right hamstring in the fourth inning at Wrigley Field while trying to outrun a groundball. Holliday grimaced and gripped his right hamstring as he neared first base. After replacing him in the lineup, the Cardinals announced that their left fielder had experienced "tightness" in his right hamstring, and the severity of the injury was not yet known. Holliday called himself "day to day."

The results of the lineup's lurch was more readily available.

Cubs starter Edwin Jackson, a member of the Cardinals' 2011 World Series team, stymied many of his former teammates with seven shutout innings. The Cardinals got only two runners as far as second base against Jackson. The righty allowed only three hits, did not walk a Cardinal, and struck out five, including David Freese with a runner at third base for his final out of the game. First baseman Anthony Rizzo staked Jackson to an early lead and drove in the Cubs' first three runs off Cardinals' starter Jake Westbrook, who didn't have the command to keep the Cubs grounded.

The loss ended the Cardinals' winning streak against losing teams at five. The Cubs, while still auctioning off parts of their roster to the highest bidders this month, inched ever closer to a .500 record. The Cubs (41-49) won for the fifth time in six games and for the seventh time in their past 10 home games.

It took the Cubs three pitchers to get the three outs in the eighth inning necessary to secure the win. The Cardinals connected a leadoff hit by Jon Jay and a walk from pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso to bring the tying run to the plate twice in the eighth inning. Lefty James Russell got a line drive to center from Matt Carpenter for his out to keep the Cardinals' scoreless, and righty Pedro Strop got Carlos Beltran, in his 2,000th career game, to cast his bat after an off-speed pitch that ended the threat with a strikeout.

The Cardinals were hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position.

The Cubs had one hit with runners in scoring position.

It drove in two runs.

Cubs closer Kevin Gregg faced the tying run at the plate in the ninth but claimed his 16th save when left fielder Alfonso Soriano plucked Jay's sinking liner before it touched grass. The shutout was their third of the season, but their first since Pittsburgh did it at the end of April � a loss dating back 66 games.

Immediately after Soriano's catch, Matheny engaged Bellino about the strike out that started the inning. Adams was out on a called third strike. Adams said after the game he "thought it was a ball," and said as much to the umpire. The umpire motioned the rookie away, and that drew the attention of the dugout.

"Nobody should be showing up the players like that," Matheny said.

A request to have a reporter interview the umpires was unsuccessful.

Holliday injured

Holliday leaves game with hamstring injury

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday grimaced and gripped his right leg while trying to run out a groundball in the fourth inning tonight at Wrigley Field.

Holliday reached for his right hamstring as he neared first base.

The No. 3 hitter was met at the base by a trainer, and he was removed from the game before the bottom of the inning. Matt Adams took Holliday's spot in the lineup and moved Allen Craig to left field.

The Cardinals announced that Holliday was removed from the game with "right hamstring tightness."

Replays of the groundout showed Holliday break from the batter's box and about 2/3 of the way down the line wince and then slow up and grab his right hamstring. He walked off the field without assistance, but was careful when transferring weight to his right leg.

The Cubs led 3-0 through three innings of play. All three runs have been driven in by Anthony Rizzo. Two came on a groundball single that found a hole and pushed two runs home in the third inning. The runners were in scoring position because of a wild pitch by veteran sinkerballer Jake Westbrook.