Texas Rangers @ Pittsburgh Pirates - June 21, 2025

As a die-hard fan of my home team, I can hardly contain my excitement as we gear up for another electrifying matchup between the Texas Rangers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park this Saturday! Grab your lucky jerseys and hold on tight because this game is going to be a wild ride.

Now, I know some folks might look at the records and think it’s going to be a tough night for the Pirates. Sure, they come into this game with a disappointing 30-47 record, but let me remind you: anything can happen in baseball! There’s nothing like the atmosphere at PNC Park when the crowd gets behind their boys. The energy in that stadium can uplift even the slumping bats.

The Rangers will send out Kumar Rocker, who’s had his share of struggles with a 2-4 record and an ERA creeping up at 3.3. Sure, he’s got potential with his strikeout numbers hovering around 7.9 per game – that’s no small feat! But you have to wonder if he can hold it together against a team hungry for redemption after their last outing where they were on the wrong side of a 6-2 decision against Texas. Remember folks, Rocker’s been inconsistent, which could leave room for those pesky Pirates’ hitters to find their groove.

On the other hand, Mitch Keller takes the mound for Pittsburgh with a rough 1-9 record. Even though he boasts an ERA of around 3.8 and strikes out just over 7 batters each outing, it’s clear he’s been battling more than just opposing lineups this season. The key question is: Can he finally flip that narrative tonight? At home with our fans roaring him on? I believe it’s possible! Sometimes all you need is one good inning to get your confidence back!

Let’s talk offense: Texas has put together an average of about 3.6 runs per game compared to Pittsburgh’s modest output of around 3.2 runs per game this season. So while both teams are struggling to consistently generate runs — not great batting averages either sitting at .223 — there’s always that glimmer of hope; something magical happens under those bright lights in big games!

Given recent trends, it seems like both teams have been trending towards overs lately – especially Pittsburgh who’s seen four of their last five games go OVER total scores! With both offenses looking for breakthrough performances and pitchers trying to make statements about turning things around, I’m inclined to say we’re going over that set total tonight (currently sitting at 8.5).

My prediction? Tonight may be Pittsburgh’s night! In front of their home crowd rallying behind them after tough losses recently, I see them edging out Texas in what could turn into an exciting scoring affair—let’s say they pull off a thrilling victory here!

So grab your snacks and settle in because it’s time for baseball fever once again! Let’s go Buccos!