Diamondbacks vs Cardinals predictions
When you look at the Arizona Diamondbacks heading into this game at Busch Stadium, the spotlight immediately falls on Corbin Carroll. He’s been a steady source of offense all season, and he’s got the tools to fill up the stat sheet again — don’t be surprised if you see him collect multiple hits and maybe score once or twice, given his knack for getting on base (and his sneaky speed). Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is also set up nicely to contribute with a couple of base knocks and could deliver with runners in scoring position. And with Zac Gallen taking the mound, Arizona has every reason to feel confident; his recent form suggests he could rack up the strikeouts and keep the Cardinals’ scoring in check for much of the night.
Of course, St. Louis has plenty of firepower of their own, and playing at home where they’ve been especially sharp (16-8 record at Busch will tell you that), they always seem to have guys step up. Brendan Donovan’s bat has been red-hot lately, and he looks good for at least a couple of hits and plenty of traffic on the bases. Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Arenado are both in line to make some noise with their ability to drive in runs, and you definitely can’t sleep on Willson Contreras—especially in those clutch moments that seem tailor-made for a big at-bat. On the mound, Miles Mikolas isn’t usually overpowering, but if he can go deep into the game and limit the damage, the Cardinals' chances get a major boost.
This matchup feels like it’ll be close from the jump, with both lineups able to do damage and the pitching matchup offering no free passes. Still, with home field advantage and a lineup that has been seeing the ball well, I’m leaning toward the Cardinals pulling this one out. If their bats keep rolling and Mikolas can hang tough through the middle innings, St. Louis should have just enough to edge out the Diamondbacks in what promises to be one of those games that goes right down to the wire. What do you think—another home win for the Redbirds?
