Here's who has the edge in Astros-Rangers intrastate ALCS slobberknocker
STONE COLD 'STROS
12 October 2023
The ALCS is set with the Texas Rangers heading to Minute Maid Park to play the Astros in Game 1 on Sunday night.
It's no secret that these teams don't like one another, so it should make for an entertaining series. Houston will send Justin Verlander to the mound to face LHP Jordan Montgomery in the first game.
It will be interesting to see if Dusty Baker will start Michael Brantley against the lefty, or if we'll see Mauricio Dubon and Chas McCormick in the outfield, with Yordan Alvarez hitting DH. When Brantley and McCormick are both playing, the Astros lineup gets scary deep. Rest could be a factor for Uncle Mike and his shoulder, but he'll have three days off before the team plays Sunday.
Tale of the Tape
The Rangers had the more potent offense in the regular season, but this is the playoffs. Just look at how different a hitter Jose Abreu is right now compared to the regular season.
As far as pitching goes, the Astros get the edge in the bullpen. One could argue that the starting pitching is a wash, and we don't know how Rangers ace Max Scherzer and Jon Gray will factor in as they're trying to return from injury.
Don't miss the video above as we preview the Rangers series and much more!
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Astros show signs of life in blowout win over Brewers
May 7, 2025, 3:25 pm
Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings and Jeremy Peña homered and drove in four runs as the Houston Astros defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 9-1 on Wednesday.
Houston earned just its second victory in seven games to snap Milwaukee’s three-game winning streak and leave both teams with .500 records. The Brewers were attempting to sweep a series from the Astros for the first time since 2012.
The Astros led 3-1 before Peña broke the game open by delivering a three-run homer to left off reliever Elvin Rodriguez with two outs in the sixth inning.
JP3-run bomb. #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/En0XXWdlt0
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 7, 2025
Valdez (2-4) struck out seven while allowing three hits, two walks and one run to earn his first win since the Astros’ March 27 season opener. He threw a season-high 101 pitches.
The Framchise is all business.#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/J8EGGDk5gl
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 7, 2025
Milwaukee’s only run off Valdez came on Eric Haase’s fifth-inning homer, a 425-foot drive to center.
The Astros took a 1-0 lead off Quinn Priester (1-1) in the second inning as Jake Meyers hit a two-out single and scored on Zach Dezenzo’s double.
RBI double for Zach gets us on the board early! #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/AilCY27A9d
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 7, 2025
The Brewers have lost all 13 games this season in which their opponent scored first.
Five-time All-Star closer Josh Hader worked the ninth while pitching in Milwaukee for the first time since the Brewers traded him in 2022.
Key moment
The Astros led 1-0 and had runners on third and second with one out in the fifth when Peña hit a bouncer to third.
Safe all day. #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/OVjcvev7cM
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 7, 2025
The throw home beat Dezenzo to the plate. Home plate umpire Chris Conroy initially ruled Dezenzo out, but the Astros challenged the call and replays showed the runner slid home ahead of Haase’s tag.
Key stat
Valdez has now pitched at least seven innings an MLB-leading 57 times since 2020.
Up next
The Astros host the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. Scheduled pitchers are right-hander Hunter Brown (5-1, 1.67) for the Astros and right-hander Nick Martinez (1-3, 4.19) for the Reds.
The Brewers visit the Tampa Bay Ray on Friday. Left-hander José Quintana (4-1, 2.83) will pitch for the Brewers.
