[May 20, 2014]Adam Wainwright looks to become the
second seven-game winner in the National League when he takes the hill
to face the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night in the opener
of a three-game series. Wainwright was denied his seventh victory in his
last outing when St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal blew a save in the
ninth inning. Rosenthal also squandered a ninth-inning save in Sunday's
6-5 setback to the Atlanta Braves, snapping the Cardinals' four-game
winning streak.
The Diamondbacks won the final two of a three-game set against
division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend, but they are
still buried in the NL West basement following a disastrous 9-22
mark in April. Despite the back-to-back victories, Arizona remains a
woeful 6-18 at home compared to a 12-10 mark on the road. Veteran
right-hander Bronson Arroyo, in his first season with the
Diamondbacks, will oppose Wainwright looking to win his fourth
straight start.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Bronson Arroyo (4-2, 4.15 ERA) vs.
Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (6-2, 2.11)
Much like his team, Arroyo has turned things around with the arrival
of May, allowing only two runs and 15 hits over 23 1/3 innings
during his three-start winning streak. He struck out a season-high
seven and limited Washington to one run on seven hits last time out
in going at least seven innings for the third consecutive outing.
Arroyo allowed at least one homer in each of his first four starts,
but hasn't surrendered one in his last four.
Wainwright, who failed to go at least seven innings for only the
second time in nine starts last time out, has held the opposition to
two runs or fewer seven times. That includes a spectacular string of
three starts in which he did not allow a run and permitted only nine
hits over 24 innings. Wainwright last faced the Diamondbacks on
Opening Day in 2013, giving up four runs on 11 hits in six innings
to fall to 5-4 with a 2.77 ERA against them.
