Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros ALCS Preview
Those who like less playoff baseball have to be enjoying this postseason. With four best-of-three Wild Card series and four best-of-five Division Series, we have only seen 22 out of 32 possible games. All four Wild Card series ended in sweeps (8/12) and two of the four Division Series ended in sweeps (14/20).
The Texas Rangers were part of one of them, as they disposed of the top dog in the AL with a Game 3 home victory after taking both games in Baltimore. The Houston Astros needed a fourth game against the Twins to advance, but they didn’t need a return trip to the Lone Star State. Instead, their return to Houston is for Game 1 of the ALCS.
It is the SEVENTH straight ALCS appearance for the Astros, who have been to four World Series in that span and have won two of them. The Rangers are in the ALCS for the first time since 2011, when they lost the World Series for the second straight season. The Rangers began as the Washington Senators in 1961 and moved to Texas in 1972. Those consecutive WS losses in 2010 and 2011 are their only appearances, so they are one of six teams to have never won baseball’s ultimate prize.
Will they give themselves that chance this season?