Overview

• Friday’s opener at Chase Field matches Cardinals right-hander André Pallante (5–5, 4.49 ERA) against Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt (9–6, 5.07 ERA).
• Both clubs ended the break having lost eight of their last 12 games and are scrambling for momentum in the National League wild-card race.
• St. Louis enters at 51–46, trailing the Cubs by 6½ games in the NL Central, while Arizona sits at 47–50 and four games behind the Cardinals in the NL West.
• Key players remain sidelined, including Diamondbacks pitchers Jalen Beeks and Shelby Miller and Cardinals’s Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Arenado.
• General managers Mike Hazen and John Mozeliak have indicated the series outcome will guide their buy-or-sell decisions before the July 31 trade deadline.