Arizona @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( May 21, 2016 ) Arizona 2, St. Louis 6

The Arizona Diamondbacks displayed a feast or famine offense in the first two games at St. Louis and will try to find the hits again when they visit the Cardinals for the rubber match on Sunday. The Diamondbacks pounded out 11 runs and 15 hits to take the series opener on Friday but were blanked through the first eight innings in the second game on Saturday.

Arizona is enduring a six-game road trip against a pair of playoff contenders from the National League Central, starting with St. Louis, and could use some positive momentum before heading off to Pittsburgh. All-Star slugger Paul Goldschmidt got off to a sluggish start with the bat but is starting to turn things around on the road trip and followed up a 2-for-3 performance in Friday’s opener with two more hits in Saturday’s 6-2 loss. The Cardinals offense has been in fine form with at least six runs in each of the last three games and got some big hits from the bottom part of the order in Saturday’s win. Nos. 7 and 8 hitters Matt Adams and Jedd Gyorko each homered and combined for four runs scored and four RBIs.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Zack Greinke (4-3, 5.08 ERA) vs. Cardinals LH Jaime Garcia (3-3, 2.86)

Greinke appears to be settling in after a rocky start in his first season with Arizona and is aiming for his fifth win in six decisions. The former Cy Young Award winner, who signed a six-year, $206.5 million contract with the Diamondbacks in the offseason, held the New York Yankees to three runs in seven innings without walking a batter to pick up a win on Tuesday. Greinke endured one of his worst starts of the young season against St. Louis on April 25, when he was rocked for seven runs on 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings but somehow pulled out the win in a 12-7 final.

Garcia did not allow an earned run in back-to-back starts but lost the strike zone against Colorado on Tuesday and issued four walks to go along with five hits and three runs in five innings. The Mexico native walked one and struck out a total of 13 in 14 innings over his two previous turns. Garcia was on the other end of that wild affair with Greinke on April 25 but was not part of the decision after allowing four runs – three earned – on eight hits and three walks in five innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Arizona leadoff hitter 2B Jean Segura went 0-for-5 on Saturday after going 7-for-18 in the previous four contests.

2. St. Louis CF Randal Grichuk (back) returned to the starting lineup on Saturday after being limited to pinch-hitting duty in the previous two games.

3. Arizona SS Nick Ahmed recorded multiple hits in three of his last four games to lift his average from .175 to .197.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 5, Cardinals 2