The Arizona Diamondbacks (56-44) will be trying to cut into Los Angeles’ lead in the NL West standings when they face the St. Louis Cardinals (44-56) in the second game of their three-game series on Tuesday night.
Zac Gallen, 11-4, 3.18 ERA, will get the start for the Diamondbacks. The Cardinals will counter with Steven Matz, 1-7, 4.67 ERA.
St. Louis is 6-4 in its last 10 games against Arizona.
**This preview was written before Monday’s game was played**
The Cardinals haven’t played well on their road trip and they’ve lost three of their last four games. They will try to turn things around with a win over the Diamondbacks, which will give them their second win in their last five road games.
St. Louis is averaging 4.72 runs per game. Their .257 batting average is eighth in the league. Their .332 on base percentage is seventh, while their .429 slugging percentage is eighth.
Nolan Arenado has been the most consistent batter for the Cardinals. He leads the team with a .291 batting average, 21 home runs, and 76 RBI.
St, Louis’ pitching hasn’t been good, with the team giving up 4.96 runs per game. Opponents have a .273 batting average against the Cardinals, which is 28th in the league. Their 4.54 ERA is 23rd, while their 1.45 WHIP is 27th.
In his last start, Matz gave up three hits and one run in five innings, leading to a 7-2 win over the Cubs. They will need a similar effort from him if they want to win this game.
Willson Contreras (Hip) is questionable for this game.