The Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals are set to wrap up a three-game series on Sunday afternoon in St. Louis. These two teams have split the first two games of the series, and every game is important as both the Diamondbacks and Cardinals are trying to reach the playoffs. This is also the first time that Paul Goldschmidt is facing his former team in the Diamondbacks while wearing a St. Louis Cardinals uniform.
These two teams have split a pair of 4-2 decisions so far in the series with the rubber match coming on Sunday afternoon. St. Louis comes into this game with a record of 45-45 on the season and are within three games of first place in the National League Central. Arizona fell to 47-46 on the season with the loss on Saturday night, but are still in the mix for a Wild Card spot in the National League. Arizona is -135 over the St. Louis Cardinals in the series finale.
Greinke Has Been Sharp For D-Backs
The Arizona Diamondbacks will have a big advantage in this game as they will have their ace on the mound. Right-hander Zack Greinke will be making his 20th start of the season on Sunday, and he has been one of the best pitchers in the National League. Greinke is 10-3 with a 2.73 earned run average this season, and should have a solid start against a struggling Cardinals lineup.
Second baseman Ketel Marte has been the best offensive player for the Diamondbacks this season, but they have had plenty of weapons. Marte leads the team with 21 home runs and 113 hits this season and was named to the All-Star team for his efforts. The Diamondbacks have hit 133 home runs this season as a team and are keeping up the rest of the league in terms of slugging percentage.
Cardinals Need More From Goldschmidt
If the St. Louis Cardinals are going to make a run at the playoffs in 2019, they are going to need more production from Paul Goldschmidt. The former All-Star first baseman is hitting just .249 this season and has just 16 home runs. Marcell Ozuna leads the team with 20 home runs and 62 runs batted in but is currently on the injured list. St. Louis has been horrible on offense of late, and that just has to change.
Veteran Adam Wainwright will be on the mound for the Cardinals in this game, and he might be pitching for his next contract. Wainwright is just 5-7 this season with a 4.31 earned run average, but the Cardinals need him to be great in the second half of the season. St. Louis has a very injured bullpen, and a lot of pressure rests on the starting pitchers.
Greinke, Diamondbacks Win Series
The Cardinals and Diamondbacks are extremely similar this season, but the pitching matchup in this game favors Arizona in a big way. Neither of these two teams scores a ton of runs, and it should be another low-scoring game in the series finale. Look for Greinke to put up a low number and the Diamondbacks to find just offense to win. Bet the Arizona Diamondbacks -135 over the St. Louis Cardinals.
