Sunday is the final game of a three-game set between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the St Louis Cardinals from Busch Stadium. This has been a big series for the two teams right out of the All-Star break, as they are both in the thick of the Wild Card race. Going into Saturday night’s game, the Diamondbacks were only a half game out, and the Cards were two games out of the final Wild Card position. At 47-46, the Diamondbacks have put together a nice last three weeks. A series win against the Dodgers, splitting a four-game set with the Giants and sweeping the Rockies. The Cardinals, however, have been stumbling. They finished June losing five of their last six games, and are 3-4 in July after Friday’s game.
Probable Pitchers
For the Diamondbacks, ace Zack Greinke will get the call for his 20th start in what has been yet another incredible season. At 10-3, Greinke has posted his 12th (!!!) straight double-digit win season. His ERA currently sits at 2.73, and if it stood, it would be his fifth time having an ERA less than 3 in a season.
Greinke has very quietly put together a Hall of Fame-caliber career. He’ll hit the 200-win plateau sometime this year (currently at 197), and he is only 35 years old. His last two outings were spectacular, something Arizona fans have become accustomed to, going seven shutout innings each time. Dating back to June 23, Greinke is currently on a 19-inning scoreless streak.
For the Cardinals, veteran Adam Wainwright will get the ball for his 17th start of 2019. At 37 years old, there was definitely room for criticism when the Cardinals brought him back again on a one-year deal. He’s only pitched over 125 innings once since 2015; however, he has been very solid so far this season. He goes into Sunday with a 5-7 record and a 4.31 ERA, and pretty respectable peripherals. He’s only had one win in his last six starts, but he has pitched well enough to give St Louis a chance to win each time out. You can count on Wainwright to give you five solid innings, but with Jordan Hicks out, the Cards bullpen has some serious question marks.
Batter To Watch
I’m going to go a little off the radar here, even though this guy was an All-Star this season. Ketel Marte is having an excellent breakout season that isn’t being talked about enough. He’s batting .320 with 21 home runs and 55 runs batted in. Not to mention, his defense is off the charts, and he has yet to make an error this season. He is also riding a seven-game hitting streak. The Diamondbacks go how Ketel Marte goes, and he is crucial for their Wild Card aspirations.
The Pick
It’s so hard to pick against Greinke, but Adam Wainwright is SO good at home with a 2.68 ERA. But, you want to know what is better than a 2.68 home ERA? Greinke’s 2.47 road ERA. This very well could be a pitchers duel, but Greinke will give his team more length, and the win. Take the D-Backs.
