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Pitchers take the spotlight as Rangers visit Pirates
When the Texas Rangers travel to Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon, all eyes will be on the mound as two very different pitching stories collide. For a comprehensive look at every matchup this weekend, check out our MLB previews hub.
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Rocker Building Momentum
Texas rookie Kumar Rocker enters this outing riding the high of his first career scoreless performance. After a rough start to the season—going 1–3 with an 8.10 ERA over his first five outings and then allowing five runs in 3⅓ innings on June 4—Rocker looked renewed against the Chicago White Sox last Sunday. He tossed five shutout innings, scattering four hits, issuing one walk and fanning six batters. Battling severe cramps in the fifth inning, he downed five bottles of pickle juice between innings, a testament to his grit on the bump.
Rocker will be eager to see if he can sustain that command and replicate his break-even outing when he faces the Pirates for the first time. His arsenal, particularly when he’s locating his fastball, has the makings of a long-term rotation piece. If you’re betting on pitchers, don’t miss our latest MLB picks for today’s slate.
Keller Seeking to Convert Quality Starts
On the other side, Pittsburgh veteran Mitch Keller has delivered consistently solid outings but remains stuck at a 1–9 record. Since his lone victory on Opening Weekend (a 4–3 win over Miami on March 28), Keller has worked deep into games—logging 10 quality starts over his last 14 trips to the mound—but has suffered nine consecutive losses, often due to minimal run support. His back-to-back 3–2 defeats against Miami (June 10) and Chicago underline how little margin for error he’s received.
Keller’s lone appearance against Texas came on August 20 of last season, when he carved through the Rangers for seven shutout innings, allowing three hits, no walks and tallying nine strikeouts. As he aims to rekindle that success, our expert betting guide breaks down his strikeout props and value angles.
Bullpen Spotlight
The Pirates’ bullpen will be shorthanded after reliever Dennis Santana received a four-game suspension (pending appeal) for an altercation with a fan during Thursday’s doubleheader in Detroit. With Santana unavailable, Pittsburgh might turn to lesser-used arms, which could become a factor late in this contest. For up-to-the-minute updates on which relievers are hot, visit our best handicappers leaderboard to see who’s targeting Pittsburgh pen matchups.
Betting and Handicapping Insights
• Run total: Both starters have demonstrated the ability to stifle offenses—Rocker with his recent shutout and Keller with his string of quality starts—making the under on total runs a strong lean.
• Starter props:
– Keller strikeouts over: look for value given his career high-nine punchouts against Texas.
– Rocker walks under: with his improved control, he may stay under 2.5 free passes.
• First-five innings under: both hurlers tend to be most efficient early, so consider betting the first-five innings under line.
• Upsell: for guaranteed expert picks you can back with confidence, check out our premium service and buy picks.
Whether you’re fading the suspensions, riding the rookie wave, or leaning on veteran consistency, this afternoon’s Rangers-Pirates duel offers plenty of angles. Good luck, and happy wagering.
