Corbin Carroll slides to 7th in Diamondbacks’ batting order vs. Cardinals

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo is shaking up the lineup Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals with Corbin Carroll sliding down the batting order to seventh.

The game with a 10:15 a.m. MST start also notably includes Blaze Alexander as the starting shortstop after he missed the past two games due to a hamstring cramp that took him out of a game Sunday.

Alexander is batting second, behind right fielder Pavin Smith making his first start as a lead-off hitter. Smith has batted six or seventh in fourth games this year.

The slumping Carroll has batted first in the order for three games and second in 20 so far this season.

The 23-year-old has slashed .215/.324/.269 this year with five RBIs, 14 walks and 15 strikeouts. He’s hit two doubles and one home run.

Carroll’s splits between right-handed pitchers and lefties are stark.

He’s batting .161 with a .513 OPS against right-handers and averaging .297 with a .717 OPS against southpaws.

Arizona on Wednesday will get a second look at starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery after he went six innings and allowed one earned run Friday in a 14-1 D-backs win against the San Francisco Giants.

In the three-game series finale against St. Louis on Wednesday, the Diamondbacks face veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson, who has a 5.04 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in four starts so far this year.

Diamondbacks batting order vs. Cardinals on Wednesday

1. RF Pavin Smith
2. SS Blaze Alexander
3. DH Joc Pederson
4. 1B Christian Walker
5. 3B Eugenio Suarez
6. LF Jake McCarthy
7. CB Corbin Carroll
8. 2B Kevin Newman
9. C Tucker Barnhart

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