Diamondbacks vs Cardinals Preview: Big Pitching Showdown in St. Louis

The Diamondbacks rolled into Busch Stadium hot, winning their last two games against the Cardinals. Yesterday they pounded St. Louis 9-4, with bats lighting up in the fourth inning. Groover smashed a homer to left field. Marte followed with a rocket over the wall to left-center. The Cardinals couldn't keep pace. Arizona's lineup showed real punch and momentum heading into Thursday. Zac Gallen takes the mound as Arizona's starter. He needs to build on Arizona's winning streak and keep the Cardinals' bats quiet.

The Cardinals have dropped two straight to Arizona, losing their grip on this series. St. Louis scored just 3 runs yesterday and 4 today—not enough to win close games. Michael McGreevy starts for the Cardinals on Thursday. He's got to eat innings and keep runs off the board. St. Louis's bullpen has struggled too. Last night the Cardinals needed to shut down Arizona's hitters late, but couldn't. The pressure builds on St. Louis to bounce back. They're 42-36 overall and sitting below .500 at home. This game matters for their playoff dreams.

Here's a cool fact: Zac Gallen was drafted by the Cardinals back in 2016. Now he's facing his old team as Arizona's ace. Gallen is sitting at 0-1 with a 9.42 ERA this season—not his sharpest numbers. But he's got 11 strikeouts, showing he can still blow hitters away. The Cardinals know Gallen's stuff. St. Louis's hitters saw him yesterday and couldn't adjust fast enough. Thursday's matchup becomes personal for Gallen. He wants to prove he's the pitcher Arizona needs in big games.