Cardinals Weekly Watch: Improving Diamondbacks, raucous Mariners on tap

The St. Louis Cardinals get a taste of the AL and NL West divisions this week as series with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners are on tap.

Still looking to find solid footing in the early part of the 2023 season, the St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up a seven-game homestand by hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game set from Monday through Wednesday. After an off day on Thursday, the Cardinals head to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Mariners at rowdy T-Mobile Park, the site of the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.

St. Louis has not visited Seattle since the 2019 season, the last time the two franchises met on the diamond. It’s just the fourth trip to the Pacific Northwest for the Cardinals in franchise history.

But before the Cardinals set their sights on Seattle, they’ll face an Arizona Diamondbacks team that has been one of MLB’s early surprises. Buoyed by three consecutive wins over the Los Angeles Dodgers and taking two of three from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Diamondbacks find themselves near the top of the NL West heading to Busch Stadium.

DIRECTV carries the most local MLB games, so die-hard baseball fans with the CHOICE package or higher can stay connected to their teams all season long with their regional sports networks, where available (Blackouts and additional fees may apply). 

Here’s what St. Louis Cardinals fans should be watching for this week:

April 17 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Projected Pitching Matchup: Merrill Kelly vs. Jack Flaherty

It has been a strange start to the season for Flaherty, who will make his fourth start of 2023 in the series opener. The 27-year-old right-hander brings a 1.76 ERA into the contest, but his other numbers (5.46 FIP and 1.500 WHIP, including 14 walks in 15.1 innings) show that Flaherty has had some very good luck on his side early in the campaign as well.

April 18 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Projected Pitching Matchup: Drey Jameson vs. Jordan Montgomery

Montgomery has been the most effective of any Cardinals starting pitcher to begin the season, logging a 2.45 ERA/2.33 FIP/1.091 WHIP over his first three starts (18.1 innings). He also continues to be effective against giving up the long ball while in a St. Louis uniform. After allowing just six homers in 63.2 innings last season after coming over from the New York Yankees in a trade, the 30-year-old southpaw has not surrendered one yet this season.

April 19 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Projected Pitching Matchup: Madison Bumgarner vs. Jake Woodford

This is certainly not the Madison Bumgarner who struck fear into opposing batters during his time with the San Francisco Giants. The 33-year-old southpaw has struggled mightily early in 2023, giving up 18 hits and 11 walks in 13.2 innings. If you take a look at Bumgarner’s page on Baseball Savant, you will see a lot of blue, meaning there are many areas where the four-time All-Star is missing the mark this season while logging a 7.90 ERA/7.69 FIP/2.122 WHIP.

April 21 at Seattle Mariners

Projected Pitching Matchup: Steven Matz vs. George Kirby

Kirby has never faced anyone on the current Cardinals roster, so the 25-year-old right-hander will provide a new experience in the series opener in Seattle. Matz, however, has faced a few of the current Mariners and there are some matchups that Cardinals fans should be watching. Eugenio Suárez is 3-for-6 lifetime against Matz, while J.P. Crawford’s seven plate appearances against him are the most of any Seattle batter. He’s 3-for-7 with a pair of strikeouts in their previous encounters.

April 22 at Seattle Mariners

Projected Pitching Matchup: Miles Mikolas vs. Luis Castillo

There is plenty of familiarity here on both sides of the plate, with Castillo seeing the Cardinals on multiple occasions  (18 career starts) as a member of the Cincinnati Reds before being traded to Seattle last season. Castillo has a cumulative 4.25 ERA/1.189 WHIP in 106.0 innings against Cardinals batters. Mikolas, meanwhile, will look to extend his mastery over Seattle’s Kolten Wong, who is 0-for-14 against him in his career.

April 23 at Seattle Mariners

Projected Pitching Matchup: Jack Flaherty vs. Chris Flexen

Suárez has had 21 plate appearances against Flaherty and has gone 5-for-18 during that time. However, three of the five hits logged by Suárez have been home runs. He has also struck out in eight of those at-bats, meaning it is often feast or famine for the Mariners infielder when going up against Flaherty. Meanwhile, Cardinals batters have faced Flexen a total of 16 times, with Paul DeJong having the greatest amount of success against him. DeJong, currently on an injury rehab assignment, is 2-for-4 against Flexen, with the hits going for a double and home run.