St. Louis Cardinals vs Arizona Diamondbacks

St. Louis Cardinals at Arizona Diamondbacks (2026-07-18). Dustin May vs Brandon Pfaadt at Chase Field.

Starters — Dustin May has a 4.55 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 93 innings, with 8.61 K/9, 2.71 BB/9, and 0.68 HR/9. His last three starts have been uneven: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 K, 4 BB; 4.2 IP, 0 ER, 7 K, 0 BB; and 0.2 IP, 5 ER, 1 K, 2 BB. The overall trend is listed down, although the low home-run rate remains a stabilizing factor. Brandon Pfaadt has a 4.70 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 53.2 innings, with 6.88 K/9, 3.02 BB/9, and 1.34 HR/9. His last three starts have been solid: 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 2 K, 0 BB; 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 K, 0 BB; and 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB. His trend is also listed down, but his recent game log points to improved command and run prevention.

Teams — St. Louis enters with a .708 OPS, 434 runs, a 4.11 team ERA, and a 1.33 team WHIP. The Cardinals have been the slightly better offensive club by OPS and total runs, but their recent 4-6 stretch suggests inconsistent form. Arizona has a .693 OPS and 420 runs, with a 4.20 team ERA and 1.27 WHIP. The Diamondbacks have been a bit lighter offensively on the season, yet their pitching staff has the better WHIP and the club is 6-4 over its last 10 games, which may matter for bettors weighing current form against season-long production.