One day after evening their four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals with a marathon victory, the Arizona Diamondbacks look to gain the upper hand when the division leaders square off at Busch Stadium on Wednesday. National League West-leading Arizona, which dropped the series opener, squandered a 6-3 lead on Tuesday before Paul Goldschmidt delivered an RBI single in the top of the 14th inning. The Diamondbacks held on for their third win in four games despite Yadier Molina's leadoff double in the bottom of the frame.
Arizona pulled even at 3-3 on its eight-game road trip with the victory, while St. Louis enters Wednesday with a 4-3 mark on its nine-game homestand. The Cardinals, who sit atop the NL Central, have won seven of their last 10 games and have not lost consecutive contests since dropping three in a row from April 27-29. Arizona's Willie Bloomquist has been a hitting machine since returning from an oblique strain that kept him sidelined for the first two months of the season, going 9-for-14 in three games.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Wade Miley (3-5, 5.01 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Joe Kelly (0-2, 6.75)
Miley will attempt to snap a personal four-game losing streak. The 26-year-old has allowed seven runs in three of the four defeats, most recently against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Miley lost his only career start against St. Louis, surrendering three runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings on May 9, 2012.
Kelly will be making his first start of the year thanks to Friday's rainout, which disrupted the Cardinals' rotation. He is 1-0 in three career games (one start) against the Diamondbacks despite allowing five runs over nine innings. Kelly, who will celebrate his 25th birthday on Sunday, started 15 games as a rookie last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Diamondbacks have outscored their opponents 27-14 in their last three victories.
2. Arizona is 7-2 in extra innings this season, while St. Louis is 0-4.
3. Cardinals 3B David Freese collected a career-high four hits Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to 14 games and 2B Matt Carpenter has hit safely in 13 straight contests. Carpenter also became the first player in franchise history to be hit by a pitch three times in a game.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Diamondbacks 3