Bubba Chandler Faces Jacob deGrom in Rubber Match and the Rookie Has One Job: Be Himself

The Pirates are rolling into Arlington on Thursday to finish off the Rangers, and it's going to be one of the best pitching matchups of the early season: a hungry rookie taking on a two-time Cy Young Award winner. Bubba Chandler gets the ball for Pittsburgh, and he's about to learn what it takes to survive in the big leagues when the lights are brightest.

A Rookie Finding His Footing

Chandler is 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA through four starts this season, and here's what jumps out: opposing hitters are only batting .183 off him. That's elite stuff. In his last outing against Tampa Bay last Friday, he threw six innings, gave up just one run on three hits, and struck out three in a 5-1 Pirates win. This will be his first career start against Texas, so he's walking into unfamiliar territory.

But Pirates manager Don Kelly isn't worried about the inexperience. He wants Chandler to embrace who he is. "I want Bubba to be Bubba and sometimes that means him showing emotion," Kelly said. "I think it's a fine line for him to learn what that is and how he can control that as he goes through a start."

Kelly knows something about competing at this level. In his nine-year career as a utility man, he played behind Justin Verlander and watched how the future Hall of Famer made adjustments mid-start. "When he would lose his fastball command, it was the curveball he would go to and re-establish his release point," Kelly explained. "Bubba is an extreme athlete and is very competitive." The adjustments will come. For now, Chandler just needs to trust his stuff.

DeGrom Comes to Play

On the other side of the mound is Jacob deGrom, the Rangers starter with a 1-0 record and 2.29 ERA. Against the Pirates in nine career starts, deGrom is 3-3 with a 2.45 ERA and 69 strikeouts. In his most recent start against the Mariners last Friday, he didn't factor into the decision but threw four scoreless innings on 88 pitches while giving up four hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in Texas's 5-0 road win.

Josh Jung is swinging hot for the Rangers. He launched his third home run of the season on Wednesday and is hitting .303 with a team-leading slugging percentage of .526 and an OPS of .883. Jung credits consistency: "Coming in we create an approach and a plan and stick to it no matter what." That game plan is working. Over the series, Jung has three hits, two runs, and three RBIs.

The Rangers will be without Wyatt Langford, who landed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a Grade 1 flexor strain. Langford was hitting .238 over 20 games with three doubles, two triples, one home run, and four RBIs.

The Rubber Match

This is the deciding game of the series after Pittsburgh rallied for an 8-4 win Wednesday, highlighted by Oneil Cruz's monster three-run home run off the top of the right field foul pole in the ninth inning. Now Chandler gets his chance to prove he belongs in moments like this. First pitch is in Arlington on Thursday.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.