Arizona Diamondbacks (54-47) vs St. Louis Cardinals (45-56)
2023-07-26 15:40:00 EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: Arizona Diamondbacks -150 / St. Louis Cardinals +130 --- Over/Under: 8.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The St. Louis Cardinals and the Arizona Diamondbacks meet in the finale of their three-game set from Chase Field on Wednesday. This is the rubber match after Arizona squeaked out a win on Tuesday, who comes out with a series win here? Let’s dive in and find out.
Tuesday Wasn’t In The Cards
The St. Louis Cardinals have been running hot and cold as of late, and what I personally expected to be a higher-scoring game on Tuesday was anything but, as the Cards went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position as they dropped a 3-1 final score. The loss sent the Cards to 45-57 on the year, sitting 10 games back in the NL Wild Card and 11 games back of the Brewers in the NL Central. Despite some struggles, the Cardinals have been pretty good in July, ranking 2nd in batting average (.285), 3rd in team OPS (.826) and 13th in ISO (.176). Nolan Arenado leads the Cardinals with 22 home runs, 77 RBIs and a .287 batting average while Paul Goldschmidt has a team-high 110 hits while Willson Contreras has a team-high 22 doubles this season. Jack Flaherty will start for the Cardinals here and is 7-6 with a 4.39 ERA and 102 strikeouts this season.
St. Louis Cardinals Team Facts
– The underdogs have won each of the Cardinals’ last four games.
– The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last eight games as underdogs.
– The Cardinals have won the first inning in each of their last three games as underdogs against the Diamondbacks.
– The Cardinals have led after 3 innings in each of their last four day games against NL West opponents that held a winning record.
– The Cardinals have led after 5 innings in each of their last five games at Chase Field against National League opponents that held a winning record.
D-Backs Strike On Tuesday
The Arizona Diamondbacks have not played well in the second half of the season, there’s really no sugar-coating it, but the D-Backs managed to eke out the win on Tuesday, snapping their losing streak and sitting 3.5 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West at the time that this article was posted, sitting with a record of 55-47. The win has the D-Backs tied in the NL Wild Card race with the Giants for the final spots in the NL Wild Card race. Christian Walker leads the Diamondbacks with 21 home runs and 64 RBIs while Ketel Marte has a team-high 108 hits and a .294 batting average. Corbin Carroll also has a team-high 21 home runs and is likely the front-runner for NL Rookie of the Year. Zac Gallen will try to keep the ball rolling when he makes the start on Wednesday, sitting with an 11-4 record and a 3.18 ERA as well as 135 strikeouts this season.
Arizona Diamondbacks Team Facts
– The Diamondbacks have lost each of their last four games as favourites.
– The Diamondbacks have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six day games against National League opponents.
– The Diamondbacks have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last six home day games.
– The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the last three day games between the Cardinals and Diamondbacks.
– The Diamondbacks have trailed after 5 innings in four of their last six games as home favourites against National League opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
– The Arizona Diamondbacks ranks 2nd in the league for triples this season (24).
– The Arizona Diamondbacks ranks 3rd in the league for doubles this season (193).
– The St. Louis Cardinals ranks 1st in the league for home runs allowed this season (97).
– The St. Louis Cardinals ranks 29th in the league for hits allowed this season (962).
Chris’ Pick
If this was almost any other spot I’d probably give the Cardinals a look, but Zac Gallen’s been nothing short of dominant at home this season with a 9-0 record and a 1.48 ERA. I’m starting to wonder when the first domino is going to fall with the Cardinals and when they’ll start selling off assets, or if this is a team in denial that’s going to hold firm and try to make a run late. Either way, I don’t think Wednesday is a step in the right direction for St. Louis. Look for the D-Backs and Gallen to shut down St. Louis and get a win here.
