Diamondbacks vs Cardinals game 2 preview

The Diamondbacks had a grand ol time in St Louis on Monday night.  In their 6-3 win, Merrill Kelly pitched 6 dominant innings, Ketel Marte recorded 2 hits and 2 RBIs, and oh yeah, Pavin Smith hit a grand salami!

It was another clean win for Arizona.  They scored in the top of the first and never trailed after that.  With the ingredients of timely hitting, good pitching, and good defense the D-backs cooked up another good-looking victory; once again, a win against a very talented team.

The Diamondbacks will be right back at it tonight against the Cardinals.  First pitch will be at 4:45 MST.  The game will be aired on Bally Sports Arizona+ and Bally Sports Midwest.  If you can’t watch the game, you can listen to it on ESPN Phoenix 620, KHOV Univision 105.1, or KMOX 1120.

Diamondbacks vs Cardinals game 2 pitching matchup

For your beloved Diamondbacks, righty Drey Jameson (Dr. Drey) will be making his second start of the 2023 season.  Jameson will once again be filling in for the injured Zach Davies.  Dr. Drey has been impressive thus far.  He is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA and he has struck out 12 batters in 12.1 innings.

In his 12.1 innings of work, Jameson has leaned heavily on his sinker-slider combo.  The opposition is struggling to barrel up his sinking fastball and his slider is making hitters look silly.  The whiff percentage on Jameson’s slider is an outstanding 73%.

For the Red Birds, veteran lefty Jordan Montgomery will get the ball to start the game.  In 3 starts this season, Montgomery is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA.  Montgomery has been as consistent as consistent gets; he keeps walks to a minimum and though his stuff isn’t overpowering, it is effective. 

Don’t get me wrong, Drey Jameson has a good sinker, but Montgomery might top him in that department.  Montgomery has a devastating sinker that hitters seem to really struggle against.  He also does a great job of mixing up his arsenal.  He has 4 quality pitches; his sinker is his primary pitch, but he has also 3 off-speed pitches that he throws almost the exact same amount of times per game. 

Diamondbacks vs Cardinals game 2: Players to watch

For the Diamondbacks, third basemen Evan Longoria has been a lefty killer this season.  In 16 at-bats against lefties, Longo has an OPS of .984.  5 hits, and 3 walks in 16 at-bats, I would say that is pretty good.

Longo went 1-9 against the Cardinals last season, thus, all signs point to him having a hay day at the plate in St Louis tonight.  He is due, and he is due in a big way.  Call me crazy, but I predict the 37-year-old will crush a home run into the seats in left field… 

For the Cardinals, first basemen Paul Goldschmidt has been locked in at home this season.  After getting an off day yesterday, he should be back in the lineup tonight.  In 35 at-bats at home this year, Goldy has recorded 12 hits, 9 walks, and 3 RBIs.  His OPS at home is an impressive .975, so Jameson will have to be cautious when pitching to him.

Diamondbacks lineup

1. Marte 2B
2. Rojas 3B
3. Gurriel Jr. LF
4. Walker 1B
5. Longoria DH 🔥
6. Carroll CF
7. Ahmed SS
8. Moreno C
9. McCarthy RF

Cardinals lineup

1. Donovan 2B
2. Burleson DH
3. Goldschmidt 1B 🔥
4. Contreras C
5. Gorman 3B
6. Nootbaar RF
7. O'Neil LF
8. Carlson CF
9. Edman SS