The May 23, 2025 matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium is shaping up to be one of the most evenly matched and consequential contests on the Friday slate, with both teams pushing hard in their respective division races and sending their best arms to the mound in what promises to be a tightly contested series opener. The Diamondbacks come in with a 26–22 record, placing them fourth in a jam-packed NL West where only a few games separate the top four teams, and they’ve maintained their playoff positioning thanks to a balanced mix of clutch hitting, sharp defense, and the ace-level consistency of Zac Gallen, who gets the start for this one. Gallen has been as advertised all season—attacking hitters with his elite command, limiting walks, and keeping the ball in the park—and Arizona will lean on him to quiet a Cardinals offense that has hit its stride in recent weeks. The Cardinals, sitting at 27–23 and second in the NL Central, have gone 7–3 in their last 10 and are thriving at Busch Stadium with a 15–6 home record, a testament to the pitching depth and timely hitting that has helped them overcome an early-season slump.

Sonny Gray will take the ball for St. Louis, entering the game with a stellar 5–1 record and anchoring a rotation that has steadily improved throughout May; his veteran presence and ability to control at-bats with late movement and deception has been invaluable for a team now looking to challenge Milwaukee for first place. Both teams boast offenses built around athleticism and contact over raw power, with Arizona’s Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte serving as spark plugs for a lineup that excels in situational hitting and baserunning, while St. Louis relies heavily on Brendan Donovan’s consistency and Lars Nootbaar’s left-handed pop to put pressure on opposing starters. Defensively, both clubs are among the cleanest in baseball, minimizing mistakes and backing up their pitchers with reliable glove work, which should make runs hard to come by in what shapes up as a pitcher’s duel. Arizona holds a slight edge against the run line at 24–22 (52.2%) compared to St. Louis’s 23–21 (52.3%), essentially underscoring how razor-close this matchup is from both a standings and betting perspective. With Gallen and Gray set to square off and both bullpens performing effectively in high-leverage spots, the margin for error is incredibly thin, and whichever team capitalizes on limited scoring opportunities, executes defensively, and controls the pace through six or seven innings will likely walk away with the win. In a season where every interdivisional game has postseason implications, this one feels particularly important for both teams trying to keep pace with surging division rivals, and the tone set in this opener could dictate not only the outcome of the weekend series but also the momentum each team carries into the final stretch of May.