Cardinals-Diamondbacks pits Martinez vs. ex-Card Shelby Miller
Carlos Martinez doesn't want to change a thing. Shelby Miller wants to alter everything, particularly the results.
While Martinez aims to go 4-0 for the first time, Miller tries to solve his dreadful start to the season and help the Arizona Diamondbacks to a second straight win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.
Martinez (3-0, 2.70 ERA) has received plenty of support in winning each of his three starts. He's been backed by 24 total runs, and Randal Grichuk made a leaping catch to rob a two-run homer in the first inning of Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Martinez went seven innings for the second straight game, allowing one run and three hits.
"I'm going to take him out and have a nice dinner," Martinez told MLB's official website through an interpreter.
Nobody could blame Miller (0-1, 8.59) if he's in no mood to celebrate. The right-hander has been plagued by control issues through four starts after being acquired from Atlanta in a five-player deal over the winter.
He's issuing 6.75 walks per nine innings compared with 3.20 last year. He walked eight while giving up four runs in 3 2/3 innings over his last two games.
"I feel like I'm just mechanically off," said Miller, who was pulled with no outs in the third inning Thursday after giving up two runs with five walks in a 6-2 win at San Francisco.
In an effort to turn things around, Miller took the mound at Chase Field on Saturday instead of having a traditional bullpen session between starts.
"He was driving the ball into the zone and he looked good," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "He was throwing strikes. I think we know that if he throws strikes with his top-end stuff that he's going to get outs."
Miller may feel comfortable facing the Cardinals since he's allowed one run and five hits in 15 1/3 innings while splitting two starts against his former team. He limited them to three hits in eight innings of a 6-0 win on Oct. 4.
Miller will at least take the mound knowing his offense is firing on all cylinders. Arizona (11-10) has won seven of nine, averaging 7.0 runs per game and batting .312 with 18 homers, 20 doubles and seven triples.
The Diamondbacks had a season-high 18 hits and scored nine runs in the sixth inning in Monday's 12-7 win, ending their eight-game skid in the series.
"The guys battled back again," Hale said. "It's a real relentless attitude."
Jean Segura ranks seventh in the majors with a .352 average after going 12 for 28 with seven RBIs in the past five games. He was 4 for 6 with a homer, double and three RBIs in the opener of this four-game set to give him a .400 average at home.
Welington Castillo and Chris Owings also got in on the big offensive display with three hits apiece while combining to drive in five runs.
Castillo is 9 for 19 with four homers, nine RBIs and seven runs over the past four games, while Owings owns a .367 average during the last eight.
Martinez certainly looks capable of slowing them down, though, going 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two career starts against Arizona.
It's unknown if the Cardinals will have Matt Holliday available after a right leg cramp forced him to leave Monday. He could be replaced in left field by rookie Jeremy Hazelbaker, who had a two-run homer and an RBI triple Monday.
