In the years before the Houston Astros joined the American League, the winner of their annual interleague series with the Texas Rangers received the Silver Boot. The prize in this latest meeting between the two teams in the American League Championship Series will be worth much more: a spot in the World Series.
The first postseason meeting between the two Texas rivals looks to be exciting. The defending champion Astros owned the Rangers during the regular season. Houston defeated Texas in nine of their 13 meetings to clinch the American League West crown on the final day of the regular season. But the Rangers didn’t let that stop them from playing in the Wild Card round. Texas is 5-0 this postseason after defeating Tampa Bay and destroying Baltimore.
The Astros made quick work of their first round game against Minnesota. Houston’s lineup looks pretty familiar: A midseason trade brought back Justin Verlander; the lineup continues to revolve around Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez; Ryan Pressly still anchors a dynamic bullpen. The Rangers will counter with their own star power. Corey Seager made his $300 million contract look like a bargain. The starting rotation could get stronger if Max Scherzer returns from injury midway through the season. Even if Scherzer can’t answer the bell, the duo of Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi will look to prevail against the defending champions.
The Silver Boot series has never meant more. –Andy McCullough
Playtimes
Game 1: Rangers at Astros, Sunday, October 15, FOX
Game 2: Rangers at Astros, Monday, October 16, FOX
Game 3: Astros at Rangers, Wednesday, October 18, FOX
Game 4: Astros at Rangers, Thursday, October 19, FOX
Game 5: Astros at Rangers, Friday, October 20, FOX (if required)
Game 6: Rangers at Astros, Sunday, October 22, FOX (if required)
Game 7: Rangers at Astros, Monday, October 23, FOX (if required)
Story from the tape
Who is ahead?
| teams | R/G | SP ERA | RP ERA | DRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
5.44 (3rd) | 3.96 (7th) | 4.77 (24th) | 37 (7th) | |
5.10 (5th) | 4.17 (12.) | 3.56 (7th) | 14 (17th) |
Astros top performers
| player | POS | KEY STATISTICS | WAR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Align | DH/OF | 31 HR, .407 OBP, .415 WOBA, | 4.5 | |
rotation | LHP | 3.45 ERA, 0.86 HR/9 | 4.3 | |
Bullpen | RHP | 1.75 ERA, 34.8 K% | 1.5 | |
Fielding | SS | DRS 7, UZR 1.2 | 2.8 |
Rangers’ top performer
| player | POS | KEY STATISTICS | WAR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Align | 2 B | 162G, 29 HR, 40 2B | 6.3 | |
rotation | RHP | 3.63 ERA, 0.94 HR/9 | 2.5 | |
Bullpen | RHP | 2.68 ERA, 0.79 HR/9 | 0.9 | |
Fielding | 2 B | 16 DRS, 5.8 UZR | 6.3 |
Pitching matches
Here’s something that might surprise: According to Wins Above Replacement, the Rangers and Astros had equally productive pitching staffs this year. Of course the Rangers’ rotation was better and the Astros’ pen was better, but man is it just weird. And pretty irrelevant given the turns these squads have taken.
Another strange thing, considering what people think about these pitching staffs in the postseason: So far in these playoffs, the Texas pitchers have a collective ERA that’s a run lower than the Astros’ arms. The Rangers’ bullpen in particular has often been disparaged, but José Leclerc, Aroldis Chapman, Josh Sborz and Cody Bradford have combined for 13 2/3 innings and one run allowed. They may not be as fearsome in terms of reputation as Bryan Abreu, Pressly and Hector Neris, but their results have kept up with the Astros so far.
Will Scherzer appear in this series? If he can do that, the Rangers will have a near-perfect game with Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier, especially since Nathan Eovaldi got back to 96 mph in his last start. If Scherzer doesn’t pitch, everyone has to move up a chair and the needle points to the Astros.
The playoffs continue to teach us that most of what these teams did before, most of what they did all season, and maybe even most of what they did last series doesn’t matter much. One of the five worst bullpens in the league can be a strength through seven games. One of the most reliable lefties in the game can completely lose control and fly into the air. A righty who has struggled all year can score five in five innings and still go scoreless. The Rangers’ injured star could return and the Astros could still win, perhaps due to a pitching advantage.
But we look forward to watching the Battle of Texas begin. – Eno Sarris
Why the Rangers will win
Have you seen this team play recently? The Rangers are 5-0 in the postseason. They just systematically dismantled the two winningest teams in the American League. Their vaunted offense is clicking. And what’s more important: your pitch has hit the nerve of the times so far. The Rangers will enter the ALCS with a fully rested pitching staff, including Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi, primed to start early in the series. The Rangers could also bring back Max Scherzer and/or Jon Gray to improve their pitching depth in this series. Texas starters have a 2.22 ERA and the bullpen has a 2.16 ERA so far in these playoffs. If their pitch can continue to exceed expectations, they will be hard to beat. —Cody Stavenhagen
Cristian Javier returned to form in Game 3 of the ALDS. Will he be able to reach the same level against Rangers? (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
Why the Astros will win
It’s October, so it seems silly to expect anything other than a Houston win. The Astros have taken care of the Rangers during the regular season, but have never seen them play as well as they do now. The clutch starts of José Urquidy and Cristian Javier during the ALDS gave hope that Houston’s starting lineup isn’t as suspect as it seemed at the end of the season. José Abreu’s rise in the ALDS, coupled with the continued excellence of Yordan Alvarez, makes the Astros’ centerfielder potentially terrifying. The Rangers have navigated both Tampa Bay’s and Baltimore’s lineups with relative ease, but the Astros present a completely different challenge. Playoff experience and power loom large in the rankings and will need to be firing on all cylinders for Houston to win its third Can win consecutive pennants – Chandler Rome
Rangers must read
Corey Seager has signed on for the Rangers’ big-money vision. Now it comes to fruition
Rosenthal: With the Rangers’ win, Nathan Eovaldi is preparing a “best-case scenario” for the pitchers in Texas
Law: What I misunderstood about Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery
Steadfast as ever, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy is back where he belongs: in October
Rise of Rangers rookie sensation Evan Carter starts with a batting cage in the basement
Astros must reads
Cristian Javier returns to his methodical postseason form and secures the win in the Astros’ Game 3
Yordan Alvarez remains unstoppable in the playoffs: “He is by far the best I have ever seen”
‘This is our division’: Astros win AL West with seemingly inevitable late surge
‘Jim Crane keeps his word’: Astros owner shows he’s always in win-now mode
The Astros are happy about the ailing Rangers bullpen in the important opening game of the Silver Boot Series
(Top photo of Justin Verlander: Bob Levey / Getty Images; Photo of Corey Seager: Greg Fiume / Getty Images)