Martin Perez (2-4, 3.13 ERA) and Francisco Liriano (4-3, 4.30 ERA) are on the hill in the last of a three-game series between the Texas Rangers (28-21) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (28-20) at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Rangers won the last game 5-2, and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, May. 29 and can be seen on FSSW and RTPT.
Perez pitched 6.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering zero runs, striking out six and walking two in a 4-1 win over the Angels. Adrian Beltre (.270, 23 Rs, 9 HRs, 34 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run, one home run, and two RBIs. Liriano went 5.2 innings, surrendering one run, striking out two and walking five in a 12-1 win over the Diamondbacks in his most recent start. Gregory Polanco (.311, 36 Rs, 7 HRs, 31 RBIs, 7 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
The odds for Texas and Pittsburgh are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. Against the NL, the Rangers have a 26-16 record SU. The Rangers have no trouble scoring as they rank fourth in the AL in home offense with 5.3 runs per game. The Rangers are one of the best in the AL in terms of hits at home with an impressive 9.2 per game. Texas’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Rangers, who lead the AL in strikeouts per game with 7.1.
Pittsburgh is 27-20 SU against American League opponents. Offensively, they average 0.0 runs per game, which is good for fourth in the NL. The Pirates capitalize on their at-bats at a high percentage, ranking .284 in the league with a .284 team batting average. The Pirates are an excellent base stealing team with 36 stolen bases, ranking fourth in the MLB. The Pirates allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span. The Pirates have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 7.3 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Texas is 13-8, while Pittsburgh is 13-11.
The Pirates are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Rangers have a 9-6 record when opponents give up one walk or less.
When they outhit their opponents, the Pirates are 21-6. The Rangers have a 17-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking eighth, Texas is in the top 10 of the league in runs, scoring 224 this season. Pittsburgh ranks in the top five at fourth with 245.
Ranking 26th, Texas is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 125 this season. Pittsburgh ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 173.
When the Rangers hit at least one home run, they are 21-12, well-matched with the Pirates who are 19-9 when hitting one or more homers.
