Cardinals at Diamondbacks
Arizona and St. Louis are 1-2 in the majors in home runs after hitting five apiece in the first three contests of their four-game set, which concludes Thursday as the Cardinals try for a series victory against the host Diamondbacks. St. Louis has won 10 of the last 11 meetings and 15 of 17 after the biggest blow in Wednesday's 11-4 win stayed in the park - a go-ahead, bases-loaded triple by winning pitcher Adam Wainwright in the sixth inning.
Rookie Aledmys Diaz (.468, four home runs, 13 RBIs) continued the torrid start to his career by going 2-for-4 on Wednesday and is 14-for-23 in the first six contests of a seven-game road trip that began with the Cardinals winning two of three against San Diego. St. Louis' Stephen Piscotty is 14-for-32 with seven RBIs in his last seven games after going 4-for-5 and driving in a pair of runs on Wednesday. Arizona continues to get production at the top of the order from Jean Segura, who had two hits Wednesday and leads the majors with 35. The Cardinals' Michael Wacha has ripped off three consecutive quality starts - winning two - after a rough season opener and opposes Rubby De La Rosa, who comes off his best performance of the season.
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (2-0, 2.82 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Rubby De La Rosa (2-3, 5.94)
Wacha allowed two runs, four hits and four walks in six innings of an 11-2 victory in San Diego on Saturday and has an ERA of 1.50 over his last three turns, which all lasted six frames. The 24-year-old Iowa native didn't strike out a batter Saturday for the first time in 40 starts dating to a 6-3 loss at Tampa Bay on June 11, 2014. Wacha has posted a 4.60 ERA in three starts - all no-decisions - versus Arizona.
De La Rosa allowed one run and three hits while striking out six in six innings of a 7-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday after posting a 9.00 ERA in his previous two starts this season. The 27-year-old Dominican made two relief appearances prior to the start and told reporters that it "helped a lot. You're more aggressive. You go in there and just pitch.'' De La Rosa is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two career starts against St. Louis.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Cardinals have scored 45 runs in their last five games, including 26 against the Diamondbacks.
2. Arizona LF Yasmany Tomas went 0-for-4 on Wednesday to snap his career-high 12-game hitting streak - a run during which he went 19-for-53.
3. St. Louis OF/1B Matt Holliday drove in a pair of runs Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's game because of leg cramps.