Weekend Series Preview 6/20-6/22
Pittsburgh Pirates (+105) @ Texas Rangers (-135) Pick: RANGERS -135 Key Stat - Team Strikeout Rate
Friday - Burrows/deGrom - Rangers WIN Jacob deGrom (6-2, 2.19 ERA) is on the mound for Texas, and that's usually all you need to know. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 straight outings. The Pirates' offense has struggled this season and strikes out at one of the highest rates in the league (they average 8.7 K's per game, 22nd in baseball). Expect deGrom, with his high K/9 rate, to take full advantage of this and dominate the Pirates' hitters.
Saturday - Keller/Rocker - Rangers WIN The Rangers send out Kumar Rocker for his start against the Pirates' ace, Mitch Keller. This is where the Rangers' superior offense will likely be the difference. Keller is a quality pitcher, but the Texas lineup, featuring sluggers like Wyatt Langford and Adolis Garcia, can put up runs in bunches. Rocker just needs to be serviceable, and the Rangers' offense should provide him enough support to secure the win and the series for Texas.
Sunday - Falter/Leiter - Pirates WIN In a battle of two pitchers trying to find consistency, I'll give the edge to the Pirates to avoid the sweep. Bailey Falter takes the mound for Pittsburgh against Jack Leiter for Texas. Leiter has shown flashes of brilliance but has also been prone to giving up the long ball. This feels like a game where the Pirates, with nothing to lose, can string together a few key hits from guys like Oneil Cruz and Andrew McCutchen to steal a win on getaway day.
Other series worth a look:
Phillies -135 over Mets +105
Angels +100 over Astros -130