Texas Rangers, Houston Astros square off for first place in AL West
In late July, the Texas Rangers sat 8.5 games out of first place in the AL West. The Los Angeles Angels, at the time, sat between them and the then-surging Houston Astros. L.A. has since fallen off the map, while the Rangers have been one of baseball’s hottest teams. Entering Tuesday, they now sit just a half-game back of their in-state rivals after winning Game 1 of a four-game set against Houston on Monday night.
In the grand scheme of things, who walks away from Tuesday night in possession of first place in the division truly doesn’t matter, especially with two games in the set still to play Wednesday and Thursday. The game does present serious implications for the Astros, however, as they currently trail the Rangers by five games in the season series.
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There’s still a legitimate possibility that Texas and Houston could finish the season with an identical record, which would leave the head-to-head record as the deciding factor in who takes the AL West crown, with the other club likely headed for a Wild Card spot. Including Tuesday’s matchup, there are currently six games remaining in the season series (three this week and three at the end of the month), and the Astros would have to win all six to claim the Lone Star season series. While it may not come to that, a win by the Rangers on Tuesday would put that much more pressure on a young, inexperienced Houston club down the stretch.
Derek Holland and Collin McHugh will take the hill for the Rangers and Astros, respectively, on Tuesday. Holland makes his fourth start since coming off the disabled list, and will look to put together a performance like his first two of the year after struggling in his most recent outing. McHugh enters having won each of his last three starts, giving up just two total runs in his last two starts.
Both clubs will look to clean things up defensively, as each posted two errors on Monday night. ESPN has the national broadcast, with the game scheduled to start at 8 PM EST.