MLB Game Preview: Texas Rangers (47-48) vs. Houston Astros (55-39)

Venue: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
First Pitch: 7:35 PM ET
Broadcast: Bally Sports Southwest, AT&T SportsNet Southwest, MLB.tv

Game Overview

The Houston Astros (55–39) host the Texas Rangers (47–48) in Game 2 of their heated AL West rivalry series. Houston dropped the opener and is now on a three-game losing streak, while Texas looks to build momentum after winning three of their last five. With Framber Valdez and Jacob deGrom set to face off, Saturday’s matchup promises elite pitching and playoff-caliber intensity.

Starting Pitchers Breakdown

Houston Astros – Framber Valdez (10–4, 2.90 ERA)

• Making his 19th start of the season
• Owns a 1.15 WHIP and 115 strikeouts in 115.2 IP
• Opponents batting just .217 against him
• Has 13 quality starts, averaging 6.4 innings per outing
• Allowed 4 ER in 6 IP vs Dodgers in last start
• Career ERA vs Rangers: 3.86, with a .231 opponent AVG

Texas Rangers – Jacob deGrom (9–2, 2.29 ERA)

• Making his 19th start of the season
• Has 105 strikeouts in 106.1 IP, with a .195 opponent AVG
• Owns a 0.98 WHIP, ranking top 10 in MLB
• Last outing: 5 IP, 3 ER vs Angels
• Has 10 quality starts, and ranks 22nd in K/9 (8.9)
• Career ERA vs Astros: 2.45, with dominant splits at Daikin Park

Key Players to Watch

Houston Astros

• Isaac Paredes: .255 AVG, 19 HR, 49 RBI — ranks 17th in MLB HR, 53rd in RBI
• Jose Altuve: .242 AVG, 14 HR, 51 RBI — batting .316 over last 5 games with 7 RBI
• Jake Meyers: .308 AVG, 15 doubles — consistent contact and OBP threat
• Yainer Diaz: .243 AVG, 12 HR — power bat with 11 doubles and a triple

Texas Rangers

• Marcus Semien: .239 AVG, 10 HR, 40 BB — ranks 55th in RBI, elite plate discipline
• Josh Smith: .287 AVG — team leader in batting average
• Corey Seager: .265 AVG, 13 HR — slugging .500 over last 10 games
• Wyatt Langford: 14 HR — team leader in homers, slugging .448

• Astros are 28–18 when favored at –124 or shorter
• Rangers are 16–31 as underdogs, winning 34% of those games
• Over has hit in 5 of last 10 Astros games
• Rangers are 5–5 ATS in their last 10; Astros are 5–5 ATS