Rangers at Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates might as well be an American League team considering their schedule of late and with the amount of success they've enjoyed, the franchise might be OK with a switch. The Pirates will try to get started on their fifth consecutive interleague series victory dating to last season when they host the Texas Rangers on Tuesday in their third straight interleague set.
Pittsburgh swept a two-game series at Texas last week before hosting the Oakland Athletics over the weekend and taking two of three, capped by Sunday's 5-3 walk-off victory in 13 innings. "Going into the 12th or 13th or 400th inning with one run, it's easy to get discouraged," shortstop Cole Tucker, who scored a run in the four-run rally in the 13th after the Pirates gave up a pair of runs in the top of the frame. "But we have complete belief in our lineup and the position that we're going to put ourselves in to win." The Rangers are coming off back-to-back wins, in which they totaled 18 runs, and pulled back to .500 at 16-16 with Sunday's 10-2 triumph over Toronto. Texas will try to make it three straight behind right-hander Adrian Sampson while lefty Steven Brault comes out of the bullpen to make a start for Pittsburgh.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Adrian Sampson (0-1, 3.58 ERA) vs. Pirates LH Steven Brault (0-1, 8.31)
Sampson had little trouble with Pittsburgh last Tuesday, scattering five hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out five before exiting and watching the bullpen serve up six runs. The 27-year-old is making his fourth start in eight total appearances and surrendered two or fewer runs in six of his first seven outings. Each of Sampson's previous three starts came at home, and he owns a 1.17 ERA in three relief appearances on the road.
Brault is making his first start since last season and made four appearances in long relief for Pittsburgh, most recently tossing two scoreless innings at Texas last Tuesday. The 27-year-old was knocked around for a total of eight runs in 6 2/3 innings over his first three outings. Brault is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in six career interleague appearances - all out of the bullpen.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates OF Starling Marte belted the walk-off blast Sunday - his second homer in five games since coming off the injured list.
2. Rangers 2B Rougned Odor snapped a 0-for-25 drought with a second-inning homer Sunday.
3. Texas DH Shin-Soo Choo went 3-for-4 on Sunday to extend his streak of reaching base to 10 straight games.