Three-game RageFest set between the Ramgers and Astros starting tonight...
*Why the Astros are better than the Rangers, by a snarky Brian T. Smith. (Alt link). Why the Rangers are better than the Astros, by Kevin Sherrington.
*Jake Kaplan writes Five Reasons Why the Astros Will Win the AL West. Evan Grant writes Five Reasons Why the Rangers Will Win the AL West. (Inside tip: the DMN told Evan Grant that he had to cut 100 reasons and 75,000 words from his side of the argument).
*Hinch is expecting an intense series:
I expect a lot of intensity, I expect a lot of guys to remember the rival that we [experienced] last year for the first time as a group. It's been here long before we were here and will be long after we're gone. I love the Astros-Rangers rivalry. It's brewing. Right now, I want to find wins against anybody.
*First it was Tyler White winning AL Player of the Week in the first week of the season. Now Jose Altuve gets co-honors and Richard Justice gets to do what he always wants to do, and that's write about the Astros.
*From last Friday - and before Keuchel's start in the 1-0 win against Detroit - There are reasons to worry about Dallas Keuchel.
*Domingo Santana is making "the George Springer adjustment."
*The Blue Jays released Humberto Quintero.
*Longread: The Rise and Fall of Rafael Palmeiro.
*Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright hit Chris Colabello in the helmet with a pitch, and sent him a large bottle of liquor. Nothing says you're sorry like a large bottle of liquor.
*Donora, Pennsylvania - a dying town which is also the birthplace of the Griffeys and Stan Musial.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
