Weekend Series Review 6/20-6/22
The Texas Rangers secured the series victory at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend, winning two of the three games as predicted. The Rangers' elite pitching was the story on Friday and Saturday, effectively shutting down a struggling Pirates lineup before Pittsburgh managed to steal the finale on Sunday.
Friday (Rangers won, pick won) Rangers 6 - Pirates 2. Jacob deGrom delivered a quality performance, going 6 strong innings, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out 7 Pirates. The Rangers' offense provided most of the support he'd need with a 2 runs in the 1st inning, punctuated by a Haggerty single. The Pirates offense eventually hung two on deGrom in the 4th, but by that time the Rangers were up for good.
Saturday (Rangers won, pick won) Rangers 3 - Pirates 2. The Rangers clinched the series behind another strong defensive showing. While Pirates' starter Mitch Keller kept the game close early, the Texas lineup broke through in the 6th inning and a coaching blunder removed Keller from the game. Kumar Rocker had a solid outing for the Rangers, going 5.1 innings and giving up two runs to earn the win.
Sunday (Pirates won, pick won) Pirates 8 - Rangers 3. The Pirates managed to avoid the sweep in the Sunday finale as their bats finally came to life. They got to Rangers' starter Jack Leiter early, scoring two runs in the 4th innings. A five run 5th inning ensured that the Pirates closed this one out. Bailey Falter gave the Pirates a gutsy performance across 5.1 innings, and the bullpen held on to secure the win.
Key stat from the series - Team Strikeout Rate. This was a defining factor, especially on Friday when Jacob deGrom's 11 strikeouts completely neutralized the Pirates. Over the weekend, the Pirates struck out 27 times compared to the Rangers' 18. The Rangers' ability to put the ball in play more consistently, especially on Friday led directly to their offensive outbursts and the series win.
The Rangers improve to 42-32 on the season, keeping pace in the competitive AL West. The Pirates fall to 34-40.
Rangers -135 to win the series: WIN