(My Sportsbook) - The Arizona Diamondbacks will try to close out a frustrating season-opening homestand on a positive note in this afternoon's rubber match of a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Diamondbacks had lost five of their first seven games on the residency until their slumbering offense woke up in last night's extra-inning victory over the Cardinals. Arizona recorded 12 hits in the 7-6 win, with Eric Byrnes knocking home the deciding run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th frame.

Conor Jackson and Mark Reynolds each belted pinch-hit home runs and Felipe Lopez finished 3-for-6 at the plate for the Diamondbacks, who had scored a total of four runs during a three-game losing streak that preceded Tuesday's win.

Jackson's three-run blast off Josh Kinney in the bottom of the eighth gave Arizona a 6-4 lead, but the Cardinals drew even on back-to-back RBI singles from Colby Rasmus and Albert Pujols in the ninth against D-Backs closer Chad Qualls.

After Tony Pena (2-0) held the Cardinals scoreless in the top of the 10th, Arizona put together three singles off Brad Thompson (0-1) in its half of the inning to prevail.

Rasmus, Pujols and Joe Thurston each finished 2-for-5 with an RBI for St. Louis, which had a five-game win streak halted.

Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter fired three scoreless innings before being removed from last night's contest due to a strained ribcage muscle. The injury could land the 2005 National League Cy Young Award winner, who has made just four starts over the previous two seasons because of arm problems, on the disabled list.

With Carpenter likely to be shelved, the Cardinals are going to need more performances like the one today's scheduled starter, Joel Pineiro, provided in his season debut. The inconsistent right-hander was sharp in St. Louis' 5-3 triumph over Houston last Friday, holding the Astros to two runs on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings to pick up the win.

Pineiro, who went 7-7 with a lackluster 5.15 earned run average in 26 games (25 starts) for the Cards last season, won his only career decision against Arizona in his final 2008 start last September. In that game, the 30-year-old allowed three runs on just three hits and struck out seven in seven innings.

He didn't fare as well when facing the Diamondbacks at Chase Field earlier that month, permitting four runs and three homers in a five-inning no decision.

Jon Garland gets the call for Arizona this afternoon and is also coming off a solid showing in his first start of 2009. The offseason addition made a good impression on his new team by limiting the rival Los Angeles Dodgers to three runs on five hits over seven innings to earn the victory this past Friday.

Garland, a two-time 18-game winner with the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and 2006, signed a one-year contract with Arizona in January after posting a 14-8 record with a 4.90 ERA with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last season.

The lanky right-hander has faced the Cardinals only once during his 10-year major league career, and that came while with the White Sox on June 15, 2001. Garland took the loss in that game after giving up three runs in five innings of work.

St. Louis, which last won a series in Arizona from July 4-7, 2005, won four of seven encounters with the Diamondbacks last season but is just 3-9 at Chase Field since the start of the 2006 campaign.