St. Louis @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2019 ) St. Louis 9, Arizona 7

The St. Louis Cardinals look to record their season-best seventh consecutive victory when they visit the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday in the middle contest of a three-game set. St. Louis holds a 3 1/2-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers with five games remaining as it strives to earn the National League Central crown.

Slugger Paul Goldschmidt made a happy return to Chase Field by smacking his 32nd homer of the campaign in Monday's 9-7 triumph to help eliminate the franchise he played for from 2011-18 from postseason contention. Goldschmidt received a loud ovation prior to his first at-bat of the game and his third-inning blast made him the lone player in stadium history to reach 100 career homers. Arizona's wild-card hopes were derailed by a six-game slide earlier this month and it needs to win at least two of its final five games to record its third straight winning season. Diamondbacks infielder Eduardo Escobar drove in his 118th run and is part of a seven-person NL RBI chase that is led by Washington's Anthony Rendon (122).

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), FS Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Jack Flaherty (10-8, 2.96 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Mike Leake (12-11, 4.38)

Flaherty received a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs in his last turn when he gave up one run and three hits and struck out eight over eight innings. The 23-year-old has a major league-best 1.05 ERA since the All-Star break and is 6-2 with 45 hits allowed in 13 starts since the Midsummer Classic. Flaherty lost his lone career start against Arizona when he yielded four runs and four hits over six innings on July 3, 2018.

Leake has struggled since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline and is 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA in nine starts while serving up 14 homers in 54 innings. The 31-year-old defeated the Miami Marlins in his last turn when he gave up three runs and eight hits over 6 2/3 innings. Leake gave up five hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings in a no-decision against St. Louis as a member of the Seattle Mariners on July 3 and is 5-7 with a 4.11 ERA in 18 appearances (17 starts).

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals C Yadier Molina went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs on Monday and has four multi-hit outings in the past seven games.

2. Arizona 1B Christian Walker went 3-for-4 with a homer in the opener and is 9-for-20 with two blasts over the past six contests.

3. St. Louis OF Dexter Fowler struck out in four of five at-bats in the opener and is 5-for-38 with 18 strikeouts over the past 10 games.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Diamondbacks 0