Cardinals at Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks bolstered their starting rotation this offseason with the high-profile additions of Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller, but so far the results have not been there. After Greinke struggled and was bailed out by the offense, Miller looks to get into the groove when the Diamondbacks continue a four-game series with visiting St. Louis on Tuesday.
Greinke saw his ERA rise to 6.16 after giving up seven runs for the second time this season in Monday's 12-7 win in the series opener, while Miller carries an ugly 8.59 mark into this one. "I feel like I'm just mechanically off," Miller told reporters after walking five in two-plus innings his last time out. A less-heralded addition during the offeseason was shortstop Jean Segura, who had a home run among four hits in the opener and is hitting .352 for Arizona, which used a season-high 18 hits to snap an eight-game losing streak against St. Louis. Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday tripled in a run early in Monday's loss but later left with a leg cramp and is considered day-to-day.
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (3-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Shelby Miller (0-1, 8.59)
Martinez has lasted seven innings in each of his last two starts and limited the Chicago Cubs to one run and three hits his last time out. Opponents are batting just .178 against the 24-year-old, who is 1-0 with a 2.93 ERA in five games (two starts) against Arizona. Current Diamondbacks are a combined 10-for-52 with no extra-base hits against Martinez.
Miller has managed to go just 3 2/3 innings over his last two starts, one of which was cut short by an injury and the other by a complete lack of control. He walked the final four batters he faced against San Francisco on Thursday and has issued eight free passes with only two strikeouts in the back-to-back poor outings. The ex-Cardinal allowed one run and five hits in 15 1/3 innings against his former team last season while with Atlanta.
WALK-OFFS
1. Diamondbacks C Welington Castillo has four homers and nine RBIs in his last four games.
2. Cardinals SS Aledmys Diaz is 11-for-15 in the first four contests of the club's seven-game road trip.
3. Four St. Louis relievers combined to give up eight runs (seven earned) in three innings on Monday.