St. Louis, meanwhile, has been scuffling. The Cardinals dropped 4 straight before scratching out a 1-0 win over the Angels on Tuesday, and this current homestand is their first shot at building any real momentum since getting outscored by Arizona in that Sunday collapse. Whatever direction this team is trending, this series against a hot Arizona club will say a lot.
McGreevy is the reason the Cardinals aren't panicking. In 9 home starts this season he's running a 1.89 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP — genuine ace-level stuff in his own park, and it's come against a Diamondbacks lineup that's had its share of trouble against right-handers. He was even better his last time out, allowing just 1 earned run over 6.1 innings against the Angels.
Arizona's pitching depth is stretched thin. Zac Gallen remains on the shelf rehabbing an elbow issue, Ryne Nelson and Corbin Burnes are both out for extended stretches, and the bullpen has bled relievers to injury all year — Drey Jameson, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk among them. It's a testament to how the lineup has carried this team that Arizona is still a game over .500 and angling to be buyers before the deadline.
St. Louis has its own decisions looming. With the Cardinals hovering right around .500 and names like Lars Nootbaar and JoJo Romero drawing rental interest, front office direction over the next week could shape who's even in this lineup by the time August rolls around. For now, though, it's about stopping the bleeding against a Diamondbacks club that just won't go away.