GAME 2
Today in Houston, the Texas Rangers will face the Houston Astros in Game 2 of the 2023 American League Championship Series…The Rangers lead the series 1-0 following last night’s victory by a 2-0 score.
- Texas is looking to take a 2-0 lead in the series…Teams to take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven postseason series have gone on to win the series 75 of 89 times (84.2%), including 31 of 35 times in the LCS (88.6%).
- Teams to take a 2-0 lead on the road in a seven-game series have gone on to win 24 of 28 times (85.7%), including 13 of 14 times (92.9%) in the LCS…The only team to lose an LCS after taking a 2-0 road lead was the 2020 Braves (vs. Dodgers).
- Houston is looking to even up the series at 1-1…Teams that win Game 2 to tie up a seven-game series have gone on to win 53 of 99 times (53.5%), including 22 of 39 times (56.4%) in the LCS.
2023 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
- Houston is playing in the ALCS for a seventh consecutive season, which is the longest streak all-time by an A.L. team and the second-longest by any team in the Majors, trailing only Atlanta’s run of eight straight appearances in the NLCS from 1991-99 (excluding the 1994 Strike season).
- Texas is in their third League Championship Series in franchise history, having won both of their previous two appearances in 2010 & 2011.
SILVER BOOT SERIES
Houston won nine of 13 meetings with Texas during the 2023 regular season, marking the seventh consecutive season that the Astros have won or split the season series against the Rangers…With both teams finishing the regular season with identical 90-72 records, the Astros earned their third consecutive A.L. West title by virtue of the season series win…The clubs split the six head-to-head matchups at Minute Maid Park this year, while the Astros won six of the seven meetings in Arlington including a three-game sweep in the final regular season series from Sept. 4-6, in which Houston outscored the Rangers 39-10.
THE MANAGERS
The 2023 ALCS features the two winningest active managers in baseball with Dusty Baker (2,183 career regular season wins) facing off against Bruce Bochy (2,093 career regular season wins)…Both skippers are in their 26th season as a MLB manager.
- This is the second postseason series where both managers have 2,000+ career wins…In the Dodgers 2009 NLDS sweep of the Cardinals, Joe Torre (2,246 wins) defeated Tony La Russa (2,552 wins).
- Dusty Baker has led his team to the postseason for the 13th time in his 26 years as a Manager, including all four of his years in Houston…His teams are 3-2 in League Championship Series, including a win with San Francisco in 2002 (vs. STL), a loss with the Cubs in 2003 (vs. FLA), a loss with the Astros in 2020 (vs. TB), a win with the Astros in 2021 (vs. BOS) and a win last season vs. NYY)…Baker’s 54 career postseason wins lead all active skippers and rank fourth all-time…Baker is 31- 16 (.660) with the Astros in postseason play.
- Bruce Bochy has reached the postseason for the ninth time in his 26 seasons as a Manager…His teams are 4-0 in League Championship Series, including a win with San Diego in 1998 (vs. ATL), and wins with San Francisco in 2010 (vs. PHI), 2012 (vs. STL) and 2014 (vs. STL)…Bochy’s 50 career postseason wins rank fifth all-time…Bochy is the only manager in MLB history to win the pennant in each of his first four LCS appearances… He is looking to become the first manager all-time to win a League Championship Series with three different franchises.
ABOUT GAME 1
Last night, the Rangers won Game 1 of the 2023 ALCS by a 2-0 score…Jordan Montgomery worked 6.1 scoreless innings, while Leody Taveras hit a solo HR and Jonah Heim added an RBI single for the Texas offense.
- Since the American League Championship Series became a best-of-seven format in 1985, 22 of the previous 37 teams to win Game 1 have gone on to win the series (59.5%).
- The Rangers are now 2-1 in Game 1 of the League Championship Series, previously losing to the Yankees in 2010 and defeating the Tigers in 2011…Texas won the series in both of first two visits to the ALCS.
- The Astros are now 5-6 in Game 1 of the LCS, including a 4-3 record since joining the American League.
- Last night was the fifth shutout win in Rangers postseason history (second this season – won 4-0 in Game 1 of Wild Card Series at Tampa Bay); four of the five postseason shutouts have come on the road.
STREAK STORIES
- The Rangers are 6-0 in the 2023 playoffs, which is tied for the sixth-longest win streak in MLB history to begin a postseason…The six game postseason win streak is the longest in franchise history (Texas previously won five straight during the 2011 postseason).
- With last night’s loss, the Astros snapped a seven game win streak in LCS play, which finishes tied for the third-longest streak all-time.
UMPIRES
Today, Marvin Hudson will serve as the Crew Chief while James Hoye is in reserve in advance of working behind the plate in Game 3…The seven-man crew in the 2023 ALCS, also includes regular season crew chief Dan Bellino as well as Jordan Baker, Doug Eddings, Mark Ripperger and Stu Scheurwater…All seven umpires could receive one plate assignment during the series if it goes seven games, and each umpire will be in reserve during the game prior to their schedule plate duties…Major League Umpires Mike Estabrook, Jeremie Rehak and Chris Segal are the Replay Officials for this series.
HOME SWEET HOME
Since 2021, the Astros are 12-6 in postseason home games at Minute Maid Park, including a 7-3 home record since the start of the 2022 playoffs.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Rangers have won all five of their road games to begin the 2023 playoffs, which is tied for the longest postseason road win streak in franchise history (Texas also won five straight on the road in 2010 in the postseason).
LCS EXPERIENCE
- Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman have now appeared in LCS games in seven consecutive years…They join John Smoltz and Tom Glavine as the only players to appear in at least seven straight LCS…Smoltz and Glavine each appeared in eight straight for the Braves from 1991-99 (no LCS was played in 1994). (credit: MLB’s Sarah Langs). Overall, 20 members of the Astros active roster had previous LCS experience, while six Rangers make their returns to the League Championship Series:
- ASTROS: Bryan Abreu, Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Michael Brantley, Hunter Brown, Mauricio Dubón, Cristian Javier, Martín Maldonado, Phil Maton, Chas McCormick, Rafael Montero, Hector Neris, Jeremy Peña, Ryan Pressly, Ryne Stanek, Kyle Tucker, José Urquidy, Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander
- RANGERS: Aroldis Chapman, Nathan Eovaldi, Martín Pérez, Max Scherzer, Corey Seager, Will Smith
