Recap: Texas Rangers VS Pittsburgh Pirates 2025-06-20
Rangers vs. Pirates: A Tale of Two ERAs (and Why You Should Root for the Underdog Just to Hear “Falter” Fail)
The Texas Rangers (-111) strolled into PNC Park on June 22, 2025, like they’d already bought the beer and told the Pirates to bring their own chairs. With a 3.19 ERA (second in MLB) and a 65% win rate as favorites, Texas entered as the ultimate “we’ve got this” crew, led by Jack Leiter, who probably practices his windup in the shower. The Pirates? They’re 30-47, their ERA (3.85) is about as reliable as a July heatwave in Pittsburgh, and their underdog magic only works 37% of the time—great odds if you’re into disappointment.
Bailey Falter, the Pirates’ starter, faced an impossible task: out-pitch the Rangers’ “we don’t hit for power but we’ll hit your ego” staff. Leiter, fresh off a gem in the series opener (6 IP, 2 ER), looked like he’d stolen a few of the Pirates’ bats and left them in a dumpster. The Rangers’ offense, led by Josh Smith’s .290 average and Adolis Garcia’s “I can’t swing but I’ll swing anyway” energy, promptly reminded everyone why they’re 37-39 (basically “meh” but with more money).
The Pirates’ Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, and Bryan Reynolds tried to play baseball while the Rangers’ pitching staff played “Let’s see how many errors you’ll make before we retire you.” Pittsburgh’s 3.85 ERA? That’s the number of times fans checked their phones for an “are we even trying?” update.
In the end, it was a familiar story: Texas 6, Pittsburgh 2 (again). DeGrom looked like a Hall of Famer, Garcia looked like he’d won a bet with himself, and the Pirates proved that being an underdog is just a fancy way of saying “we’re here for the atmosphere.”
Key Takeaway: If you bet on the Rangers, congrats! You’re rich. If you bet on the Pirates… well, at least Bailey Falter’s name delivered on the drama.
Final Score: Rangers 6, Pirates 2 (again). The only thing colder than the Pirates’ offense was their beer in the sun. 🍻⚾
Created: June 22, 2025, 7:03 p.m. GMT