MLB Baseball
2026-06-23 - Arizona Diamondbacks at St Louis Cardinals
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : Major League Baseball
Tuesday 23rd June 2026 - Scheduled 7:45pm EST
12:45am (British Time)
Preview
Chasing down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West is always going to be challenging considering the strength of the two time defending World Series Champions. However, the Arizona Diamondbacks (39-39) will be thinking about the Wild Card spots for a return to the Playoffs and this is a series that could have an impact on the tie-breakers later in the year.
They dropped the opener of the four game set against the St Louis Cardinals (42-34) who have been the big surprise package in the National League Central. They are 5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the Divisional race, while the Cardinals would be the top Wild Card team in the National League if the season was to end today.
However, the season has yet to hit the halfway mark and so there is work for both of these teams who will be comfortable with the current position heading towards the All Star Break.
Arizona have lost three in a row, but they are going to turn to Eduardo Rodriguez for this start and this is a pitcher with a 6-2 record and 2.45 ERA in fifteen starts this season. There would have been question marks about the four year contract that guaranteed Eduardo Rodriguez $80 million, but the pitcher looks to have returned to some form on the mound after finding just thirty-nine starts across the first two seasons in this uniform.
Eduardo Rodriguez may only hold a 1-1 record in four June starts, but he has limited three of the four opponents to less than two runs. He was knocked around early by the Cincinnati Reds, but bounced back to pick up the decision win over the Los Angeles Angels when holding them to a single run in 7 completed Innings in the last start made.
The Cardinals will counter by handing the ball to Kyle Leahy who has a 5-4 record despite a 4.63 ERA from the fourteen starts made this season. His performances out of the bullpen in 2025 has offered Leahy this spot in the starting rotation and the performances have been solid enough for the St Louis Cardinals to retain the spot.
Kyle Leahy is 0-1 in his last five starts for the Cardinals, and he has allowed sixteen runs in a little over 24 Innings thrown in that time. Most recently he was tagged for three runs in a decision loss to the San Diego Padres, and that means Kyle Leahy has allowed ten runs in 15 Innings thrown in June.
Last season, Kyle Leahy did make a number of relief Innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks and gave up three runs in just over 3 Innings completed.
Both teams swept home series against the other in 2025 and the St Louis win on Monday means they have won five in a row at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Prediction
The layers are finding it hard to split these two National League teams that could become rivals for Wild Card spots in September.
There does feel like a slight edge is with the Arizona Diamondbacks in terms of the starting pitchers and that may give them enough impetus to level up this series and snap a five game losing run in this ball park.
Kyle Leahy and the St Louis Cardinals will have something to say about that, but the Arizona Diamondbacks can earn a narrow win as a very slight underdog.
The Pick :
St Louis Cardinals 3-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
