*The Rangers haven't been in the ALCS since 2011. They beat the Detroit Tigers in six games. Justin Verlander lost Game 1 and won Game 5. Six Flags lost in the World Series.
Franchise Tale of the Tape:
Houston:
Regular Season Record: 4921-4892 (.501)
Postseason Record: 79-69 (.534)
Division Titles: 12
Pennants: 5
World Series Championships: 2
Six Flags (not including their time as the Washington Senators)
Regular Season Record: 4000-4186 (.489)
Postseason Record: 26-34 (.433)
Division Titles: 8
Pennants: 2
World Series Championships: 0
*Justin Verlander will start Game 1 on Sunday. Game 1 is at 7:03pm. Game 2 is at 3:37pm Monday.
*MLB.com: ALCS Game 1 FAQ.
*Houston Chronicle: Astros/Ramgers Preview. Michael Brantley:
It's going to be a good battle. They worked hard to get here as well. We're really familiar with one another. I know we have a lot of history and we look forward to going out there Game 1 and competing against them and it's going to be a great series.
*Astros' OPS, ALDS:
Yordan Alvarez: 1.783
Jose Abreu: 1.228
Michael Brantley: .879
Mauricio Dubon: .800
Chas McCormick: .727
Alex Bregman: .694
Jose Altuve: .647
Jeremy Pena: .646
Kyle Tucker: .508
Martin Maldonado: .397
Yainer Diaz: .000
Imagine what'll happen if/when Bregman/Altuve/Tucker get hot.
*Max Scherzer could make Six Flags' ALCS roster.
*Look at this mess from WFAA: A Rangers' fans guide to hating the Houston Astros. It's hilarious. Someone who definitely watches baseball regularly wrote this.
*Arbitration Projections are out! Or, I guess, have been for a few days. Anyway. Juan Soto leads the way at a projected $33m The Astros' arbitration-eligible players (with projections in parentheses):
Kyle Tucker: $12.6m
Framber Valdez: $12.1m
Jose Urquidy: $3.5m
Chas McCormick: $3.1m
Mauricio Dubon: $3.1m
Luis Garcia: $2.1m
Bryan Abreu: $2m
*If you like to live dangerously, you can wager on the Angels (+100,000) and Nationals (+200,000) to win the 2023 World Series.
*Division Winners, 2023 Postseason: 6-14
AL/NL East, AL/NL Central, NL West Division Winners, 2023 Postseason: 3-13
100-win Teams, 2023 Postseason: 1-9.
*Minneapolis Star-Tribune: The Twins reverted to their early-season selves.
*ESPN: How a twist of fate and family advice helped make Falorin Balogun the USMNT's next big thing.
*A Musical Selection: