The Battle of Texas: Astros face the Rangers in ALCS
In a historic turn of events the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers have found themselves in the 2023 American League Championship Series battling it out for a chance to punch their ticket to the World Series. Since 2017 Houston has dominated America League West rival Texas in their yearly matchups known as the Silver Boot Series. However, with both teams’ seasons on the line the winner of this year’s ALCS is far from being clear.
How Did We Get Here?
The 2023 MLB season saw a strange role reversal with the Rangers lighting up the league and controlling first place of the American League West Division going into the August 1st trade deadline. While the Astros maligned by injuries and poor offensive performance at times were fighting to not be eliminated from the American League playoff race. On the eve of the trade deadline, the New York Mets made deals to send superstar starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to the Astros and Rangers respectively. From the trade deadline to the end of the season and with the help from the newly acquired Verlander the Houston Astros went on a tear to clinch a spot in the playoffs and win their seventh consecutive AL West Division Title. Meanwhile, the Rangers floundered in the second half of the season and scraped into the playoffs.
Game 1 Rangers def. Astros 2-0
Verlander started Game 1 of the ALCS for the Astros and gave up two runs to the Rangers by the bottom of the second inning. However, he put in six and two-thirds innings of work and kept the Rangers at bay by allowing two total runs and six hits. The starting pitcher, Jordan Montgomery, for the Rangers was the biggest story of Game 1 where he pitched six and two-thirds shutout innings. Montgomery was not immune to giving up hits to the Astros and got into trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning when loaded the bases. Ultimately the Astros were never able to capitalize on any of their five hits.
Moving Forward
The Houston Astros are no strangers to losing the first game of a series and still going on to win the series. In order for the Astros to pull out a series win over the Rangers the Astros will have to capitalize more on the hits they generate. The Astros will also have to start winning games at home, which has been an uncharacteristic struggle of theirs this season.
