D-backs Cardinals Series
Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals Start Four-Game Series Monday Night
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The Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals open a 4-game series Monday night at Busch Stadium, with first pitch set for 7:45 p.m. ET. Arizona enters the series skidding, having dropped 2 of 3 to the Minnesota Twins — including a 4-2 loss Sunday as -134 favorites Herald Tribune.
St. Louis arrives with momentum after a wild 12-10 slugfest win over the Kansas City Royals. The Cardinals are 5-5 in their last 10 games. Arizona sits at 5-4-1 against the spread in that same stretch, but a painful 2-8 over/under record tells the real story Providence Journal.
Arizona's Offense Stalls at Worst Possible Time
The Diamondbacks lost Sunday as -134 favorites, meaning oddsmakers strongly expected them to win. They didn't. Arizona has gone under the run total in 8 of their last 10 games — a sign their offense is grinding to a halt Patriot Ledger. Manager Torey Lovullo put it plainly: "The balls are being hit hard, but they're finding gloves. That 2-8 O/U trend isn't just about pitching; it's about our bats missing that final 5%."
Analytics site FanGraphs notes that Arizona's expected weighted on-base average — a stat measuring how hard they're hitting the ball — remains high despite the poor results. That suggests the team may be due for better luck soon. But "due" doesn't win Monday night's game Star News Online.
Cardinals' Bullpen Could Be a Liability After 12-10 Brawl
St. Louis used five relievers in Sunday's high-scoring win over Kansas City. That kind of workload leaves the bullpen thin heading into Monday. Manager Oli Marmol acknowledged the issue, telling reporters he wants "cleaner innings" after his staff surrendered 10 runs to the Royals Herald News.
Second baseman JJ Wetherholt was a key part of Sunday's 12-run outburst. "We needed that win to reset the energy in the clubhouse before Arizona comes to town," Wetherholt said after the game. Catcher Ivan Herrera also contributed to the Cardinals' recent offensive push, per MLB.com Record Net.
Monday's Betting Lines Favor Arizona but Market Is Cautious
The opening line sets Arizona at -115 and St. Louis at +105, with the over/under at 8.5 runs, according to Burlington County Times. That is a much tighter line than Arizona's -134 price in Sunday's loss. Vegas is adjusting to Arizona's June slump.
"The books are still pricing the D-backs based on their May performance, but the June data shows a different, more stagnant team," said betting analyst Derek Carty. The "smart money" is reportedly split between the Cardinals' moneyline and the Over — partly because St. Louis just put up 12 runs in a single game News-Journal Online.
Wild Card Stakes Add Pressure to Four-Game Set
Both teams are hovering within 3.5 games of each other in the NL Wild Card standings. That makes this a four-game series with real playoff implications. Arizona's General Manager Mike Hazen could be forced to seek offensive help before the July trade deadline if the Under trend continues Oak Ridger.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen is the expected rotation anchor for the series but is being monitored for a minor finger blister. If Gallen is limited, the Cardinals' suddenly hot offense — 22 combined runs in Sunday's game alone — could make for a very long night for the D-backs Lubbock Online.
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