Game two of this three-game set between the Arizona Diamondbacks (10-7) and St. Louis Cardinals (7-10) is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. EST on Tuesday. It comes a day after the Diamondbacks beat the Cardinals 6-3. Arizona hasn't had much fun against the Cardinals lately, as they entered this series 2-7 in St. Louis over the past few years. Before Monday, the Cardinals were 37-17 head-to-head in the last 54 meetings. Game two presents a new opportunity though, and Busch Stadium will once again be the setting between these teams.
PAVIN POWER. ?? pic.twitter.com/D7XlIckiLh
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 18, 2023
After going 6-4 against the Dodgers and Padres to open 2023, Arizona has held its ground early in the division standings. Monday's win pushed them to a brief 1.5-game lead over the Dodgers, pending Los Angeles' results. Considering very few thought Arizona would even make the playoffs, it's been a nice start for the club, especially considering their schedule.
Monday's win was powered by two homers, a rarity for this season's Arizona team. They hit two long balls that drove in five runs, despite entering the game 27th in home runs hit. They also came into the series 21st in runs scored, largely due to a .299 team on-base percentage. The team loves to steal bases, coming into the game with 18 successful swipes, but got caught in their only attempt.
Arizona's pitching staff doesn't perform well in the three true outcomes either. They rolled into St. Louis 21st in homers allowed, 23rd in strikeouts, and 25th in walks allowed. The result is a team FIP that was 26th entering play on Monday. Their bullpen entered with a -0.6 WAR (28th) and 5,67 FIP (29th). Andrew Chafin has been lights out though, notching his eighth scoreless outing of the year.
Drey Jameson will get his second start of the season, filling in for Zach Davies. Jameson's first start was a success, as he tossed 4.0 innings of shutout ball against the Milwaukee Brewers, leading the team to a win. He's only pitched in eight games in his career but has a 5-0 record with a 1.47 ERA.