American League Championship Series Preview: Rangers vs. Astros

Rangers and Astros set to meet in 2023 ALCS - Image Credit: MLB

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

The 2023 American League Championship Series will be played in the Lone-Star state of Texas, as the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, two AL West division rivals, battle for the American League pennant in a best-of-seven series with a trip to the World Series on-the-line. Who will represent the American League in the 2023 Fall Classic? 

A Texas-sized #ALCS.

Who do you have advancing to the #WorldSeries, and in how many games? pic.twitter.com/gv75GqHAI5

— MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2023

All the action for the ALCS begins Sunday, October 15th in Game 1 with first pitch scheduled for 8:15 pm ET/7:15 pm CT at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas — television broadcast for the entirety of the ALCS will be featured on FOX/FOX Deportes, radio-coverage on ESPN, and Spanish-radio coverage on Univision Radio.

Provided below is the full-schedule for the 2023 American League Championship Series (* stands for if necessary). 

Game 1: Sunday, October 15th at Minute Maid Park (8:15 pm ET/7:15 pm CT)

Game 2: Monday, October 16th at Minute Maid Park (4:37 pm ET/3:37 pm CT)

Game 3: Wednesday, October 18th at Globe Life Field (8:03 pm ET/7:03 pm CT)

Game 4: Thursday, October 19th at Globe Life Field (8:03 pm ET/7:03 pm CT)

*Game 5: Friday, October 20th at Globe Life Field (5:07 pm ET/4:07 pm CT)

*Game 6: Sunday, October 22nd at Minute Maid Park (8:03 pm ET/7:03 pm CT)

*Game 7: Monday, October 23rd at Minute Maid Park (8:03 pm ET/7:03 pm CT) 

Now that we have all the ALCS information stored away, regarding the television broadcast and radio coverage — let’s dive into the pristine matchup between the Rangers and Astros. 

Texas (90-72), the No. 5 seed in the AL, remains undefeated this postseason with a perfect 5-0 record — sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card (2-0), as well as the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS (3-0). In their five postseason games, four in a visiting ballpark, the Rangers combined to score 32 runs (seven HR), while surrendering a grand total of 12 runs to opponents. 

Houston (90-72), the No. 2 seed in the AL, holds a 3-1 record this postseason — in part to defeating the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS (3-1), following their first round Wild Card bye. Throughout the ALDS, the Astros compiled 20 runs on 36 hits (10 HR), and allowed a total of 13 runs. 

LatinoMVP Impact in Astros ALDS Victory

To zone in on Houston’s offensive performance headlined by Latinos, eight out-of-the-10 home runs in the ALDS, came off the bats of Yordan Álvarez (4 HR), the 2022 American League LatinoMVP winner, José Abreu (3 HR), the 2020 American League LatinoMVP winner, and José Altuve (1 HR), the 2017 American League LatinoMVP winner. 

Adolis García vs. Yordan Álvarez

A Cuban superstar vs. A Cuban superstar. Adolis García and Yordan Álvarez are set to meet in the 2023 ALCS, in hopes of sending their respective team to the Fall Classic. The 30-year-old García, from Ciego de Avilla, Cuba, hit 39 HR this season with 107 RBI (second-most in the AL for both categories). Álvarez, 26, of Las Tunas, Cuba, has a .895 OPS throughout his postseason career in 180 at-bats with 10 home runs, and 32 RBI.

Bruce Bochy vs. Dusty Baker

Bruce Bochy, 68, and Dusty Baker, 74, two longtime winning managers, who are truly embedded in the sport, will go up against one another in the 2023 ALCS. The pair of future Cooperstown Hall of Famers, have managed in 8,240 games combined throughout their notorious careers — winning 4,276 of them, which marks a .518 winning percentage. Additionally, Bochy and Baker have combined to achieve seven League Championships and four World Series titles. 

Dusty Baker: 2,183 wins (seventh-most all-time by a MLB manager) – 54 postseason wins (fourth-most all-time by a MLB manager)

Bruce Bochy: 2,093 wins (10th-most all-time by a MLB manager) – 49 postseason wins (fifth-most all-time by a MLB manager)

Uniquely enough, this year marks Baker’s 26th season as a MLB manager and the same goes for Bochy… 

Behind-The-Numbers between Texas and Houston in 2023 Regular Season

In 13 games, the Astros beat the Rangers nine times, outscoring Texas 93-74.

Houston won the AL West division title on the final day of the regular season by defeating the Diamondbacks in Game 162, while the Rangers lost to the Mariners, which tied both teams in record, but the Astros won the tiebreaker due to the head-to-head matchup.

Texas led the American League in hits throughout the regular season (1,470) while Houston was second in the category (1,441).

The Rangers and Astros have never faced off in the postseason prior to the 2023 ALCS.

The Rangers-Astros Rivalry

In each and every MLB division race, emotions rise as the intensity increases and with the Rangers-Astros competing for the AL West division title all season long, we already experienced some jawing back and forth… 

Benches clear in Rangers-Astros game after a grand slam by Adolis Garcia!!

(via @BallySportsSW )pic.twitter.com/WgZT1iXcXm

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 27, 2023

And now with the American League pennant and a trip to the World Series on-the-line, expect even more energy out of both dugouts in the ALCS. 

“Well, hey man, they know us and we know them,” said Astros manager Dusty Baker leading up to the ALCS.

“This is the way baseball should be,” Rangers skipper Bruce Bochy said. “I don’t think it should be a love fest out there. We’re rivals. There’s going to be a lot of intensity involved in the game, that’s gonna happen. It’s gonna be a lot of fun out there.”

Robert Rizzo is a journalist and editor of Latino Sports – Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com

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