2023 ALCS • Rangers vs Astros

Dionysus

Dionysus

Idoit
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This series deserves its own thread.
One thing’s for sure: a Texas team will be in the World Series. Who will it be?
Who do you think takes the NL this year?

2023-ALCS.jpg
 
Dodgers more often than not fold in the playoffs so the Snakes beating them was not a surprise. Atlanta is better than Philly, but not sure they can win 2 straight in the series so Philly.

Philly is east of the Mississippi so the Snakes.
 
Not optimistic about our staff holding the Astros down. Scherzer and Gray may be on the verge of a return but I don't know about their arm strength. But our batting order is sick. I wish Langford was in there!
 
Most likely: Astros vs. Phillies

A repeat of the 1980 NLCS.

Too bad the Astros aren't still in the National League. Then we might have an all-Texas World Series.
 
Chop said:
Most likely: Astros vs. Phillies

A repeat of the 1980 NLCS.

Too bad the Astros aren't still in the National League. Then we might have an all-Texas World Series.
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Counterpoint - if we knew winning the AL was this easy (relative to winning the NL) for them, we would have started the 'Stros in the AL!
 
guy4321 said:
Counterpoint - if we knew winning the AL was this easy (relative to winning the NL) for them, we would have started the 'Stros in the AL!
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Maybe so...

But the National League needs to go back to no designated hitter!
 
My head says the Astros win the series with the Rangers. However, my heart says somehow Bochy will use his past post season succcess to strategize a way for the Rangers to win the series.

Gonna be fun & entertaining!!!

As for the NL - don't follow those teams much but I'll guess Atlanta.
 
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WorsterMan said:
My head says the Astros win the series with the Rangers. However, my heart says somehow Bochy will use his past post season success to strategize a way for the Rangers to win the series.
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WM, I have to agree. IMO, the Rangers have enough offense to make it interesting (assuming the hitters continue bashing the baseball). So far in the playoffs, the pitchers have captured some magic they didn't have late in the season - can that continue?
Not surprised that the Dodgers fell against Arizona. I think the Braves will pull it out in the final analysis. My prediction for the World Series - Atlanta vs. Houston. I would love to be wrong and see Texas vs. Atlanta.
 
Also note the hot streak for our Rangers. The two teams with the best regular-season records in the AL (Baltimore and Tampa) were in the bracket with the Rangers - and the Rangers swept both of them! Sometimes getting hot at the right time is the key factor - hope it continues against the Astros.
 
Im an Astros homer so I hope they win but Im very happy with what they have accomplished. If the Rangers win it will be deserved. The Astros have the experience and the talent to win it all again but the Rangers are hot.

Astros in 7.
 
How interesting - now that the Phillies beat the Braves, the only Division champ still playing is Houston. Baltimore, Minnehaha, LA, Atlanta, and Milwaukee all lost.
 
American League Championship Series

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  • Game 1: Rangers at Astros, Sunday, Oct. 15 (FOX/FS1)

  • Game 2: Rangers at Astros, Monday, Oct. 16 (FOX/FS1)

  • Game 3: Astros at Rangers, Wednesday, Oct. 18 (FOX/FS1)

  • Game 4: Astros at Rangers, Thursday, Oct. 19 (FOX/FS1)

  • Game 5*: Astros at Rangers, Friday, Oct. 20 (FOX/FS1)

  • Game 6*: Rangers at Astros, Sunday, Oct. 22 (FOX/FS1)

  • Game 7*: Rangers at Astros, Monday, Oct. 23 (FOX/FS1)
* if necessary
 
*IF* the Astros beat the Rangers and then win the WS, they will have surpassed what I still regard as the greatest baseball dynasty in my lifetime, The Big Red Machine of the 70s. That is just unfathomable to me that it is even in the realm of possibility.
 
Somewhat interestingly, the Rangers are the only team guaranteed to have home-field advantage in the World Series if they get there ... yet they don't have home-field advantage in the ALCS.
 
Statistics
Meetings total 266
Regular season series Rangers, 134–132 (.504)
Postseason results Tie, 0–0
Current win streak Astros, 3
 
I massively want the Rangers to win, but the Astros are the better team with a better bullpen. I also hate that MLB put the Astros in the AL West to try to force a rivalry where none existed. Most Ranger fans don't hate the Astros, and most Astros fans don't hate the Rangers. Just another reason why Bud Selig sucks. Worst commissioner until the current one. (I'll never forgive that MoFo for bringing the DH to the NL.)
 
Mr. Deez said:
I massively want the Rangers to win, but the Astros are the better team with a better bullpen. I also hate that MLB put the Astros in the AL West to try to force a rivalry where none existed. Most Ranger fans don't hate the Astros, and most Astros fans don't hate the Rangers. Just another reason why Bud Selig sucks. Worst commissioner until the current one. (I'll never forgive that MoFo for bringing the DH to the NL.)
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Yeah no one seemed to like the idea of going to the AL West after being in the NL Central forever. Its grown on me though. The Rangers are hot and that concerns me especially since the Astros were better on the road this year. 7 straight ALCS appearances is awesome though and the dumb Dodgers are already out so I can't complain if the Astros lose.
 
2003TexasGrad said:
Yeah no one seemed to like the idea of going to the AL West after being in the NL Central forever. Its grown on me though.
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I'll never be a fan of it. I don't like when the league screws with the system to force something that should be fan-driven or when it corrupts the integrity of the game. That's why I despise Selig. The move of the Astros happened because the league wanted to create a Red Sox/Yankees style rivalry between the Astros and Rangers. It's cool when the fans create such a rivalry. It's dumb when the league screws with the alignment to force it, and I don't see much evidence that it worked. Most of us won't be furious at either outcome in this series.

I also hate interleague play. It was a cheap gimmick to foster a short term boost in attendance because of the novelty of it, but it forced the league to have unbalanced schedules, corrupting the integrity and fairness of the game. You can now have scheduling advantages like in the NFL. Very bad.

And even though I've always cheered for AL teams, I despise the DH. So because your pitcher sucks as a hitter, we make up a position that sits on the bench when the team is in the field but bats for the pitcher? Pathetic. Again, it screwed with the game by removing any incentive for pitchers to learn to hit and destroyed one of the key strategy points that made the game interesting. **** 'em. I'll never like it.
 
Waited until this morning to post my prediction for the series. My heart tells me Rangers in six, but my brain tells me Astros in six and that would be my official prediction. Cheaters or not, the Astros have been the best team in baseball the last seven years and as much as I want to hold trashcan banging against them the reality is that they are just a really good team who have been really really consistently good for a long time, and that is something to admire.

The Rangers lineup can carry them to a couple of wins and with a break or two who knows, but I worry about the pitching even with Scherzer returning. I will be cheering hard for the Rangers, and hoping that my heart is right and my brain is wrong.

LETS GO RANGERS!:texasflag:
 
Sunday opener: Montgomery vs. Verlander. Listing says 7:15 pm. Is that EST? Cannot determine.

Either way I'll have to listen to about half the the game on radio as I will still be driving back from West Texas to DFW.

Hoping Bochy and Rangers magic can get it done.

GO RANGERS!!! :texas-flag:
 
I just read recently that the Astos retired the trash can in August of their first World Series season. Thus, no impact on the playoff games. Is this true?
 
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