Texas Rangers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 8/21/24, 12:07 PM  by Dan Angell | Modified on 8/21/24 at 1:21 PM in MLB Picks

The Pittsburgh Pirates (59-66 SU, 69-56 ATS) meet the Texas Rangers (X) in a getaway game to close out their three-game set. The value has already shifted drastically because the Pirates made both a business and baseball decision in opting not to throw Paul Skenes on Wednesday, even though it’s his turn in the rotation.

There are two schools of thought behind this decision, and both are probably accurate. The business side says that it’s the Pirates thinking with their wallets again, as they know that Skenes draws crowds and they’ll make more money pitching him Thursday at home against Cincinnati than in Arlington against Texas. The baseball side says that there’s no reason for Skenes to keep pushing himself for a team that’s not going to qualify for the postseason. Skenes has already thrown 98 innings in Pittsburgh, and that doesn’t include the 27.1 innings he threw at Triple-A Indianapolis.