St. Louis @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 21, 2010 ) St. Louis 9, Arizona 4
The St. Louis Cardinals have slumped their way out of first place. Perhaps their star rookie can break them out of the funk.
Jaime Garcia will take the mound as the Cardinals attempt to snap a four-game slide when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
With the rest of baseball enjoying interleague play this weekend, St. Louis and Arizona are the odd teams out due to the 16-team Nationals League and 14-team American League format. That should be a welcome advantage for the Cardinals, who get to play one of the NL’s weakest teams.
St. Louis was swept earlier in the week by the Los Angeles Dodgers, getting outscored 17-7 in the three-game set. The great Albert Pujols managed only one hit in the series and is just 5-for-24 over the past seven games. Matt Holliday was just as bad, going 1-for-7 in the series and 7-for-31 over the past nine contests.
The slumping offense allowed the Cincinnati Reds to surge past the Cardinals in the National League Central, gaining a 1 ½-game advantage.
But the cure for most of the slumping offenses in the NL this season has been the Diamondbacks pitching staff, which ranks last in baseball with a 5.42 team ERA. The bullpen has been even worse for Arizona, checking in at 7.19.
The bullpen managed to allow nine runs in five innings on Thursday in an 11-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Closer Chad Qualls surrendered four runs on five hits while recording only one out, ending a string of four straight scoreless appearances. Of the five relievers Arizona used on Thursday, none has an ERA lower than 6.75.
If the Diamondbacks hope to push St. Louis’ skid to five games, they will have to find a way to solve the rookie left-hander Garcia. The 23-year-old Mexico native has yet to allow more than two earned runs in a start this season, yet seems to be flying under the radar as more hyped rookies like Stephen Strasburg, Jason Heyward and Mike Leake take up all the ink.
But Garcia has thrived at the back of the Cardinals rotation due mainly to his ability to keep the ball in the ballpark. In 67 2/3 total innings this season, Garcia has surrendered only two home runs. He has no problem limiting hits of any kind, actually, holding opponents to a .219 batting average.
Another native of Mexico, Rodrigo Lopez, will get the call for Arizona. The veteran right-hander has filled in capably for the Diamondbacks in 2010, allowing three earned runs or less in seven of his 12 starts.
Lopez suffered a loss last time out against the Colorado Rockies, allowing three runs on nine hits in seven innings while striking out six.