Series Preview: Diamondbacks v. Cardinals
* PREVIEW: ARI v. STL - The Diamondbacks (2-4) have had a disappointing start to the season, dropping back-to-back series with division rivals Colorado and Los Angeles. Arizona will have to improve its home-cooking to prevent falling further off the pace with the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals (5-2) coming to town for a three-game series.
Notwithstanding their fine record (compiled against the lowly Pirates and Astros), the Cardinals do have some questions of their own, primarily on the pitching staff. Against the Snakes, St. Louis is slated to throw a so-so trio of starters: converted reliever Todd Wellemeyer, Tommy John-returnee Chris Carpenter, and the unimpressive Joel Pineiro. Only Carpenter has ever been the type to strike fear into the hearts of opposing batters; it will take more than a win over the lowly Pirates to persuade us he's back. Wellemeyer and Pineiro are the sort of classic cast-offs with which pitching coach Dave Duncan likes to work.
Duncan asks his pitchers to keep the ball down and pitch to contact. His philosophy has conflicted with the wishes of more powerful hurlers like former Cardinals righty Anthony Reyes. That makes rookie flamethrower Jason Motte, who likes to bait opponents into chasing his blazing four-seam fastball high in the zone, an odd fit for closer duties. Unfortunately for St. Louis, there are for now no other obvious candidates for the ninth inning role. Fellow fireballer Chris Perez did not make the team out of spring training and the rest of the pen is populated with pitchers lacking in prototypical closer stuff.
The Cardinals are more intimidating at the plate, where mighty Albert Pujols remains easily one of the two or three best hitters in baseball. Pujols, the face of the St. Louis franchise, has a career record of .339 / .442 / .605 with 9 HR versus the Diamondbacks, including .323 / .427 / .657 7 HR at Chase Field. Benefiting from Pujols' presence in the Cardinals order is Ryan Ludwick (37 HR, 113, .299 / .375 / .591 in 2008). Arizona should also get to see standout center field prospect Colby Rasmus before the series is over.
Arizona will counter the Cardinals bats with Doug Davis in Game 1 tonight. Fresh of the DL and a rehab assignment, Missouri product Max Scherzer will face his hometown team in the second game. And Jon Garland, who pitched effectively in his first turn of the 2009 season, will finish the series with a start in Game 3.
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