Texas Rangers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions August 20th 2024

The money line odds for Tuesday’s Pirates vs. Rangers interleague matchup are -150 for the Rangers and +126 for the Pirates. First pitch from Globe Life Field in Arlington is set for 8:05 PM ET. SN PT is carrying this one on TV.

The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the Rangers will be looking to extend their two-game winning streak. They are 3rd in the AL West, while the Pirates are 5th in the NL Central. Starting for the Pirates is Mitch Keller, while the Rangers are going with Cody Bradford.

Mitch Keller will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing as he gets the start for the Pirates today. The right-hander is coming off a start in which he gave up 8 earned runs in 5 innings of work. In that outing, he gave up 2 homers. Keller has given up at least 2 homers in three of his last four starts. Keller’s record for the season is 10-7, and his ERA is 3.95. Opponents are batting .245 off Keller this season. Looking back over his last 24 appearances, he has a total of 12 quality starts.

Heading into today’s game, the Pirates are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 21st in the MLB. This is also the 21st ranked scoring offense in the league. As a team, they are batting just .234 and have the 22nd ranked home run total in the league. One thing they have done well is avoid striking out, as their 9 strikeouts per game is 24th in the league.

Over the last five games, Jared Triolo has gone 3/10 with two homers, and Joey Bart has gone 7/16 with two homers. Bart is also on a five-game hitting streak. Bryan Reynolds is the team’s top hitter this season, batting .281 with 19 homers and 69 RBIs.

Left-hander Cody Bradford gets the start for the Rangers today as he faces off against the Pirates at home. He has made six starts this season and has a record of 4-0 with a 3.50 ERA. Bradford’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.00. Opponents have hit .213 off Bradford this season, and he has turned in three quality starts. In his last outing, Bradford went six innings, giving up two earned runs, and finished with a no-decision. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien have been swinging the bat well of late, with Garcia going 9/28 in his last seven games with three homers, and Semien has also gone deep once in this stretch while batting .333. Semien is also on an eight-game hitting streak. For the season, Garcia is 2nd on the team with 21 homers, while Semien is 3rd with 18 homers.

Corey Seager has been the Rangers’ best hitter this season, as he is batting .273 with 28 homers and 68 RBIs. His 28 homers are 9th in the league. The Rangers are 15th in home runs this season and are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the MLB.

Rangers Face Reality After World Series Triumph

Less than a year after their World Series victory, the Texas Rangers find themselves in a completely different place, all but conceding their playoff hopes as they gear up to face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of a three-game series on Tuesday night.

Rangers’ Playoff Dreams Dwindling

The Rangers head into Tuesday’s game 11 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West and 12.5 games back from the final AL wild-card spot. With the season winding down, the odds of making it to the postseason seem increasingly slim.

Even with Monday’s victory, Texas is still on track for fewer than 75 wins this season. The team’s struggles have been ongoing, with the Rangers not winning consecutive games since a five-game streak from July 21-25.

“You get to this point of the season and you’re at where we’re at, sure, nothing’s impossible, but you’re realistic,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, reflecting the team’s tempered expectations.

Fighting to the Finish

Even though the playoffs seem out of reach, the Rangers aren’t giving up. Third baseman Josh Jung emphasized the team’s determination, saying, “We’re not in the best of situations at the moment, but (let’s) just go out there and compete every night. … Just try to go win every at-bat.”

Texas will aim to extend their winning streak to three games as they send left-hander Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.50 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday. Bradford, who has been solid in his starts, allowed two runs over six innings in his most recent outing against the Minnesota Twins but did not get the decision as the Rangers lost 3-2. He has yet to face the Pirates in his major league career.

Pirates’ Struggles and Pitching Woes

The Pittsburgh Pirates will counter with right-hander Mitch Keller (10-7, 3.95 ERA). Keller is coming off two rough outings where he allowed a combined 15 runs and gave up four home runs over nine innings. His most recent start saw him surrender eight runs in an 8-2 loss to the San Diego Padres, marking the final defeat of Pittsburgh’s 10-game losing streak.

Despite his struggles, Pirates manager Derek Shelton found a positive in Keller’s fastball, noting that it showed signs of improvement in his last start. “The last start was probably the best fastball he’s had since April,” Shelton said. “The off-speed stuff wasn’t there. It’s just one of those things where we got to get him back on track.”

Keller, who has never faced Texas in his six-year major league career, will be looking to rebound and help his team get back on track.

Pirates’ Roster Moves

To inject some energy into their lineup, the Pirates recalled outfielder Billy McKinney from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. McKinney made an immediate impact, going 2-for-4 with a run scored in his team debut. However, the Pirates will be without third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who was placed on the 10-day injured list due to back inflammation.

Rangers Aim to Build Momentum

As the Rangers take on the Pirates in the second game of the series, they will be striving to keep their modest winning streak alive and finish the season with as much momentum as possible. For the Pirates, Tuesday’s game represents a chance to bounce back from recent struggles and find some stability in their rotation.

With both teams facing significant challenges, this matchup offers an opportunity for players like Seager and Keller to shine, even as their teams navigate the difficulties of a tough season. Fans can expect a hard-fought contest as the Rangers and Pirates battle for a much-needed win.

For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, as this is projected to be the 7th highest-scoring game of today’s league slate. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we have our lean on the Rangers to pick up the win. Looking at today’s starters, Cody Bradford is 4th worst in our projections in terms of strikeouts, while Mitch Keller is 9th among today’s starters.–Field Level Media