Pittsburgh Pirates vs Texas Rangers Prediction, 8/21/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Texas Rangers

Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Location: Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX

TV: Bally Sports Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+113) Texas (-135)

The Texas Rangers (58-68) host the Pittsburgh Pirates (58-66) at Globe Life Field on Wednesday. The line on this matchup has the Pirates at +113 while the Rangers are coming in at -135. The over/under comes in at 8. The pitchers who are expected to start will be Paul Skenes and Andrew Heaney.

Pittsburgh owns a slugging percentage of .372 and have struck out 1,153 times, while taking a walk on 374 occasions. They have accounted for 495 RBI's as well as 987 base knocks on the season, and their batting average is sitting at .234. The Pirates have tallied 179 doubles as a unit and have hit 124 baseballs out of the stadium. They have accounted for 514 runs while having a team on-base percentage of .301. As a squad, the Pittsburgh Pirates are earning 4.2 runs per game, which has them at 21st in MLB.

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They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.73 and the pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.29. Pirates pitchers have conceded 132 home runs and also 546 runs in total (17th in baseball). Pittsburgh has conceded 1,047 base knocks (8.5 per 9 innings) and 489 earned runs. The Pirates are sitting with a team earned run average of 3.98 so far this season (16th in MLB), and the staff has rung up 1,027 hitters. They have walked 376 opposing hitters and their FIP sits at 4.05 as a team this year.

The Pirates relief pitchers have recorded a save percentage of 55.6% and has come into the game in 114 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 142 base runners this season and 32.4% of those runners crossed the plate. Pirates relief pitchers have entered the contest with runners on base 98 times in addition to having 135 appearances in high leverage situations. The Pirates have dispatched 378 relief pitchers to the mound for the year. The bullpen have recorded 59 holds for the season (23rd in baseball). They have recorded 30 saves over the course of the season and have not converted 24 out of their 54 chances to save the game.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a total of 3,318 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 1,061 assists and 67 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .985 which is 18th in baseball, and have accumulated 103 double plays. The Pirates have turned 69.2% of baseballs in play into outs in their 9,954 innings, which has them sitting 22nd in MLB.

Skenes has taken the hill for 98 frames and is sitting with 121 punch outs thus far in his career. His ERA is 2.30 (25 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 0.969. He has surrendered 71 hits (6.5 hits per 9 innings) and has had 24 walks. Skenes (7-2 career mark) holds a FIP of 2.26 and he has faced 381 opposing hitters during his time in the major leagues.

Texas has knocked in 138 HRs on the season to go along with 512 runs batted in. They have notched 166 doubles, while getting a free base 391 times and racking up 535 runs. The Texas Rangers have accumulated a team on-base percentage of .307 in addition to a batting average of .239 this season. The Rangers have a SLG% of .382 and they earn 4.25 runs per game (18th in baseball). They have been rung up on 981 occasions (23rd in MLB) and are sitting with 1,016 hits.

The Rangers are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.290 and have a FIP of 4.39 as a staff this season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 8.50 (1,055 strikeouts vs 427 bases on balls). They are currently ranked 15th in the league as a staff in total hits relinquished with 1,006. They have surrendered 156 long balls and they relinquish 4.61 runs per 9 innings (20th in the league). The Texas pitching staff have allowed 569 runs for the year while holding an ERA of 4.32 (533 earned runs yielded).

Texas relief pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 32.6% out of their 230 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 136 times in high leverage situations in addition to 141 occasions with runners on base. Sitting with 98 save situations, the Rangers have compiled 54 holds and also 16 blown saves. They are ranked 19th in the league holding a save rate of 61.9%, and they have sent 372 relief pitchers to the hill on the season. Texas has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the game in 42 save opportunities and they have recorded 26 saves.

The Texas Rangers have turned 89 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .989 (2nd in baseball). The Rangers have recorded 1,083 assists, 49 errors and have amassed 3,333 putouts for the season. In 9,999 innings on the field, the Rangers are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 70.9% (5th in baseball).

Heaney (50-61 career win-loss record) has a 4.46 ERA and has given up 8.7 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.53 and he has faced 4,171 opposing batters during his MLB career. He has surrendered 484 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.265 and having a FIP of 4.4. So far in his career, Heaney has allowed 944 base hits while he has earned 1,034 K's in 978 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+113)

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