HOUSTON — It’s been stated a best-of-seven playoff collection in baseball doesn’t actually start to get intriguing till the street crew wins a sport. In that case, pull up a seat for Monday afternoon’s Sport 2 of the American League Championship Sequence, the place the Rangers will likely be seeking to steal one other sport on the street from the reigning World Sequence champion Astros.
Houston is no stranger to dropping the primary sport of a playoff collection at residence, having rallied to win the World Sequence final 12 months in six video games after shedding Sport 1 to the Phillies at Minute Maid Park. The Rangers have gained six in a row within the postseason — 5 on the street — since shedding the AL West title to the Astros on the ultimate day of the common season.
Texas hasn’t gained consecutive video games at Minute Maid Park since 2019, going 8-32 in Houston since Might 9, 2019, by means of the tip of the 2023 common season.
“We clearly know the previous and the way we have accomplished in right here, however none of that issues now,” Rangers catcher Jonah Heim stated. “We obtained two video games right here to show that we need to be right here. I believe we’re off to a terrific begin.”
Sport 2 options one other intriguing matchup with Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who grew up about 30 miles south of Houston within the city of Alvin, beginning in opposition to Astros left-hander Framber Valdez. Eovaldi has a 2.70 ERA in 13 video games within the playoffs, whereas Valdez was a postseason hero for Houston final 12 months by going 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA in 4 begins.
The Astros, after all, have been shut out by Jordan Montgomery and pals in Sport 1 and are nonetheless on the lookout for their first extra-base hit of the collection. Houston is 40-44 at residence in 2023, together with the postseason, and hasn’t swung the bat almost as properly at residence because it has on the street.
“It doesn’t get any simpler tomorrow,” third baseman Alex Bregman stated. “Eovaldi is without doubt one of the greatest pitchers within the postseason within the final 10 years, and it’s important to come tomorrow able to play.”
When is the sport and the way can I watch it?
Monday’s sport will likely be televised within the U.S. on FOX at 4:37 p.m. ET/3:37 p.m. CT.
All collection can be found within the U.S. on MLB.TV with authentication to a collaborating Pay TV supplier. Video games can be found dwell internationally (besides in Canada). Full sport archives will likely be out there roughly 90 minutes after the sport ends.
Who’re the beginning pitchers?
Rangers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi
Eovaldi will look so as to add to his postseason legacy when he takes the mound for Sport 2. The large right-hander earned each of the Rangers’ series-clinching wins within the 2023 postseason, together with Sport 3 of the AL Division Sequence vs. the Orioles. He has pitched to a 1.32 ERA over these two begins with a 0.80 WHIP.
Astros: LHP Framber Valdez
Valdez will make his second postseason begin and first since Sport 2 of the ALDS vs. the Twins at residence on Oct. 8. The lefty yielded 5 earned runs over 4 1/3 innings in that outing. Valdez made three begins vs. the Rangers within the common season, posting a 4.32 ERA (eight earned runs in 16 2/3 innings). In his most up-to-date begin vs. Texas on Sept. 5 in Arlington, Valdez yielded one earned run over seven innings in a 14-1 win.
What are the projected beginning lineups?
Rangers: Supervisor Bruce Bochy’s carousel within the three-hole has come proper again round to Mitch Garver, who hadn’t made an look but this postseason however hit a grand slam in Sport 2 of the ALDS. Bochy then joked that in case you hit a grand slam, you’ll be again within the lineup the subsequent day.
Garver was, and he delivered as soon as once more, with a giant RBI double within the series-clinching win vs. the Orioles in Arlington. He went 0-for-4 in Sport 1 of the ALCS, however Garver ought to stay within the No. 3 spot in opposition to Valdez.
Bochy additionally moved rookie Evan Carter up from the No. 9 spot all the best way to fifth, proper smack in-between All-Stars Adolis García and Heim. Carter is hitting .389 with 1.338 OPS in his first 5 profession postseason video games.
Astros: Mauricio Dubón obtained the beginning in heart area in Sport 1, which he’s accomplished a number of instances when Justin Verlander is on the mound. With Valdez taking the ball in Sport 2, count on Chas McCormick to maneuver to heart and Michael Brantley to get his first begin of the ALCS, in left area.
Supervisor Dusty Baker cut up his two lefties — Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker — in Sport 1 with José Abreu, however these three hitters mixed to go 1-for-12 with 5 strikeouts. Baker could select to place Alvarez and Tucker again to again once more.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Rangers: The bullpen as a complete has been a weak spot this season, however the unit has been comparatively regular this postseason. Solely three relievers have been used within the Sport 1 win — Josh Sborz, José Leclerc and Aroldis Chapman — however they’ve been the Rangers’ most constant arms this postseason. Bochy has proven a willingness to make use of all on back-to-back days if vital within the postseason, so the bullpen ought to be in fine condition.
Astros: With Verlander going 6 2/3 innings in Sport 1, the Astros’ bullpen solely needed to cowl 2 1/3 innings, with Hector Neris throwing 17 pitches and Bryan Abreu throwing solely 9. Each ought to be good to go for Sport 2, together with nearer Ryan Pressly. In different phrases, the ‘pen is in strong form and Baker ought to be capable of use his high-leverage relievers on the acceptable instances.
Reliever Jonathan Hernández was as soon as once more left off the ALCS roster attributable to a proper lat pressure, an damage that Bochy stated was sustained throughout Sport 162, when Hernández tossed one good inning with two strikeouts in Texas’ 1-0 loss to Seattle. Bochy had no additional replace on him on Sunday.
Who’s scorching, who’s not?
Rangers: Carter and Heim have each hit safely in every of Texas’ first six postseason video games. The streaks are tied for the fourth-longest in Rangers postseason historical past, trailing 12-game hit streaks by Nelson Cruz and Elvis Andrus in 2010 and an eight-game hit streak by Mitch Moreland spanning 2010-11.
Carter has reached base safely 14 instances within the playoffs, tied for essentially the most all time by a rookie by means of his first six profession postseason video games (Chuck Knoblauch and Ichiro Suzuki).
Taveras, who was 2-for-2 with a homer and a stroll in Sport 1, grew to become the primary switch-hitter to homer in Rangers postseason historical past.
By means of the primary six video games of the playoffs, Semien is hitting .148, and Lowe is batting .154.
Astros: Onerous to select a “who’s scorching” after being shut out by the Rangers in Sport 1, however Abreu logged one of many Astros’ 5 hits, and he’s batting .300 up to now within the postseason. Dubón additionally recorded a base hit and made a spectacular diving catch of a Semien fly ball within the fifth.
Tucker remains to be struggling on the plate; the precise fielder was 0-for-4 in Sport 1 and is hitting .111 within the postseason.