St. Louis Cardinals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 6/23/26, 3:46 PM  by Carlos Zabala | Modified on 6/23/26 at 10:40 PM in MLB Picks

The Cardinals and Diamondbacks played a truly even matchup in the first game of their series at Busch Stadium, which ended 3-2 in favor of St. Louis. Once again, the Cardinals' rookies delivered in great form; this time it was JJ Wetherholt, who continues his hot streak, and Nathan Church, both contributing a pair of hits.

It's a heated series that brings together several players who have had a remarkable 2026, but it's also the series that brought Arenado back to Busch Stadium; for the first time since being traded, he got a hit and drove in a run with a groundout as nostalgic Cardinals fans gave him a standing ovation.

The D-backs have lost their third straight game in a June in which they've lost four series. In the first game of the series in St. Louis, they again failed to fully capitalize on Ketel Marte's bat. The Dominican slugger ignited another multi-hit game, his fifth since June 13.