Wednesday's interleague matchup between the Pirates and Rangers is set to get started at 2:35 PM ET from Globe Life Field in Arlington. Pittsburgh is 59-66 this season, and they are 5th in the NL Central, while the Rangers are 58-69 and 3rd in the AL West.
Andrew Heaney will go for the Rangers, while the Pirates are starting Domingo German. Texas is the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -165 compared to the Pirates at +139. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs, and the game will be televised on BSSW.
Pittsburgh vs. Texas Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Pirates at Rangers
- Where: Globe Life Field Arlington
- Date: Wednesday, August 21st
- Betting Odds TEX -165 | PIT +139 O/U 8.5
Pirates vs Rangers Last Game Recap
Pittsburgh cruised to a 4-0 win over the Rangers in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a huge 4th inning, scoring all four of their runs. As for the Rangers, they had their best chance to score in the 5th, but could only muster three hits.
Mitch Keller started for the Pirates and picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with nine strikeouts but issued five walks. Cody Bradford got the start for the Rangers and took the loss, giving up three earned runs in seven innings of work.
Oneil Cruz was the difference for the Pirates, as he went 2/3 with a home run and three RBIs. Bryan De La Cruz also had a two-hit game and drove in two runs. As for the Rangers, their top hitter was Adolis Garcia, who went 2/4.
Pirates Preview
As underdogs, Pittsburgh has struggled this season, going 34-45, but they have been a good bet on the run line with a 71-54 record. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs, and the over has hit in 26 of 81 games with that total.
Overall, the Pirates are 59-66 and are 3-7 in their last ten games. They are 30-34 on the road and trail the Brewers by 14 games in the NL Central, sitting in 5th place.
Domingo Germán is getting his first start of the season for the Pirates, and he'll be on the road against the Rangers. In his 3 outings so far, he has yet to record a decision, but his last outing was his longest, as he went 4 innings and struck out 3, giving up 2 runs on 1 hit.
Andrew McCutchen has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Pirates, going 5/15 in his last four games, including two home runs. He also has two runs scored and six RBIs during this stretch. McCutchen is also on a six-game hitting streak. Joey Bart has also been hitting the ball well for the Pirates, going 11/35 in his last nine games, also with two homers.
As a team, the Pirates are 22nd in runs scored, averaging 4.1 runs per game. They have also been striking out a lot this season and have a collective batting average of just .234. Overall, they have the 21st ranked home run total in the league and are near the bottom of the league in terms of their on-base percentage and OPS.
Rangers Preview
Overall, the Rangers have struggled, losing seven straight series and three straight at home. Their series record is 15-24-1, and they are 58-69 for the season, 11 games behind the Astros in the AL West.
When the Rangers play at home with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the over has hit in 24 of 43 games. Their games this season have averaged 9 runs per game, and their over/under record is 56-66.
Left-hander Andrew Heaney gets the start for the Rangers today and will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Twins. In that start, he took the loss, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up four earned runs. Looking back over his last three starts, Heaney has taken the loss in each outing. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 4-13 with a 4.20 ERA. Opponents are batting .241 this season vs. Heaney. Per nine innings, he is averaging 8.9 strikeouts and 2.53 walks.
For the season, the Rangers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been a slightly better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .238, which is 15th in the league, and their team on-base percentage of .306 is also below average.
Corey Seager has been the Rangers' top power threat this season, as his 28 home runs are 9th in the league and the most on the team. He also leads the team with 68 RBIs and is batting .271 overall. Adolis Garcia has also been a solid power threat, but he is batting just .224 for the season. Garcia has gone deep 21 times this season and is 2nd on the team in RBIs.
Pirates vs. Rangers Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs -106
We like the Rangers to pick up a win at home, and the money line payout of -165 is a good return. However, we see this being a high-scoring game and would recommend taking the over, with the line sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Andrew Heaney is a good option to get the win today. He is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the fourth-best among starters. As for the Pirates, they are projected to finish with nine strikeouts compared to the Rangers with eight.
