Pirates Fall to Rangers in Series Opener at PNC Park

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 5-2 to the Texas Rangers in the first game of their weekend series at PNC Park on Friday night.

Pittsburgh struggled in the match, looking disorganized as they came off a doubleheader in Detroit the previous day, making several critical mistakes.

With the loss, the Pirates’ record stands at 30-47. They hope to turn things around Saturday afternoon as they continue their series against the Rangers, who have a record of 37-39.

On the mound for Texas will be rookie right-hander Kumar Rocker, a player that many fans had wished the Pirates would draft first overall in the 2021 draft.

The game begins at 4:05 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS1, and 93.7 The Fan. Weather forecasts predict a hot and sunny day, with temperatures in the upper 80s and winds from the south-southwest at 8-10 mph.

Pirates’ pitcher Mitch Keller previously took a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs, allowing two runs in six innings. He has consistently pitched at least six innings in his last eight outings and in 12 of his 15 starts this season. However, Keller has struggled at home, with a 4.73 ERA in nine starts compared to a 3.16 ERA in six away games.

In his career, Keller has faced the Rangers once before, pitching seven innings with nine strikeouts and allowing no runs. Rocker, who threw five scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox in his last start on Sunday, has had a rocky performance in prior outings, registering a 9.39 ERA over his last four games. This will be Rocker’s first matchup against the Pirates.