St. Louis Cardinals at Arizona Diamondbacks 8/20/22 - MLB Picks & Predictions

The St. Louis Cardinals will continue their series at Chase Field when they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 2. The Cardinals have won four straight games after sweeping the Rockies, capped off with a 13-0 win in the finale, and have stretched their lead to 3.5 games in the NL Central and you can find out who else is playing with our MLB predictions page. The Diamondbacks have won six of their last ten games but remain 26.5 games back in the NL West and are not going to be apart of the postseason. 

The Cardinals' offense has been impressive this season averaging 4.78 runs per game which ranks 4th in the MLB. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt has led the team and is on the track to winning an NL MVP, he is second in the league in batting average hitting .336, he’s tied for fifth in home runs with 29, and is fourth in the MLB with 94 RBIs.

The right-handed Dakota Hudson will get the start, he has had some ups and downs this season and is 6-6 with a 4.17 ERA. He’s struggled with walks, issuing 50 free passes compared to just 62 strikeouts in his 110 innings this season. Hudson allowed two runs on four hits and struck out six, but the Rockies beat the Cardinals 8-6. It’s been the worst season of Hudson’s career after injuries through the last two seasons.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been one of the worst offenses in the league averaging 4.26 runs per game which ranks 17th in the league. One of the few bright spots is first baseman Christian Walker who has hit 29 home runs and driven in 69 runs, both of which lead the team. Second baseman Rojas is coming off a great game going ¾ with a run and RBI, he’s also leading the team hitting .289 on the season.

The Diamondbacks will send out the lefty Madison Bumgarner who has had a disappointing season. Bumgarner is 6-12 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.42 WHIP on the year, which would be his worst season outside of the shortened 2020 season. Bumgarner allowed six runs on eight hits and struck out six in his last start, the Diamondbacks were dominated by the Giants and lost 6-1.