HOUSTON ASTROS: Fall to 3-2 this postseason and 0-1 to begin the 2023 American League Championship Series…Are now 5-6 all-time in Game 1 of the Championship Series, including a 4-3 record since moving to the American League…Ninth shutout loss in franchise postseason history and first since a 7-0 defeat at Philadelphia in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series.
JUSTIN VERLANDER: Took the loss in a postseason game for the first time since Game 6 of the 2019 World Series vs. Washington…Recorded five
strikeouts tonight and now has 241 for his postseason career (most all-time).
- Tonight was 18th career quality start in a postseason game, which ties Roger Clemens for fifth-most all-time.
- The RBI single allowed to Jonah Heim in the 2nd inning snapped a streak of 11.0 consecutive scoreless postseason innings, which dated back to Game 5 the 2022 World Series at Philadelphia.
- Made 37th career postseason appearance (36th start), his 13th League Championship Series start and 14th career start in Game 1 of a postseason series…The 36 postseason starts are the second-most all-time, behind Andy Pettitte (44) and break a tie with Tom Glavine (35)…The 13 LCS starts tie John Smoltz for fifth-most all-time, trailing Glavine (17), Pettitte (15), Roger Clemens (14) and Greg Maddux (14)…The 14 Game 1 starts are the most all-time (Jon Lester and Clayton Kershaw are second with 12 each).
JOSE ALTUVE AND ALEX BREGMAN: Both players appeared in LCS game for a seventh-consecutive year…They join John Smoltz and Tom Glavine as the only players to appear in at least seven consecutive LCS…Smoltz and Glavine each appeared in eight straight for the Braves from 1991-99 (no LCS was played in 1994).
TEXAS RANGERS: Improve to 6-0 this postseason and 1-0 to begin the 2023 American League Championship Series…Are now 2-1 in Game 1 of the League Championship Series (lost to Yankees in 2010 and defeated the Tigers in 2011)…Tonight is the fifth shutout win in franchise 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.
- Six game postseason win streak is now the longest in franchise history (previous was a five game streak during the 2011 postseason)
- The six game win streak to begin a postseason is tied for the third-longest in A.L. history, trailing only the 2014 Royals (won first eight games) and the 2022 Astros (won first seven games).
- Are now 5-0 on the road in the 2023 postseason…First team to win each of their first five road games in a postseason since the 2018 Red Sox…The 2010 Rangers also won their first five postseason road games.
- Since the ALCS 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%).
RANGERS HIT STREAKS: Evan Carter and Jonah Heim have both hit safely in each of the Rangers six postseason games…The streaks are tied for the fourth-longest in Rangers postseason history, 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.
BRUCE BOCHY: Earned his 50th career postseason win as Manager, which ranks fifth all-time, trailing only Joe Torre (84), Tony La Russa (71), Bobby Cox (67) and Dusty Baker (54).
JORDAN MONTGOMERY: Earned second win of the postseason after working 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just five hits and one walk with six strikeouts…Is now 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA (17.1 IP – 4 ER) across his three playoff starts for Texas this year.
- Is the first pitcher in Rangers history to have multiple scoreless starts in a single postseason (worked 7.0 shutout frames in Game 1 of Wild Card series at Tampa Bay).
LEODY TAVERAS: Tallied his first career postseason home run with a solo shot to right field in the 5th inning which extended the Rangers lead to 2-0…Seventh postseason home run in Rangers history by the #9 hitter in the order (second this year – Evan Carter homered from the #9 position in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series at Tampa Bay)…Has hits in five of six postseason games and tonight is second multi-hit game of the playoffs (also had two hits in Game 1 of Wild Card Series at Tampa Bay).
EVAN CARTER: Has now hit safely in all six of the Rangers 2023 postseason games…Doubled in the 2nd inning and would score the first run of the game on Jonah Heim’s RBI single.
- Has reached base safely 14 times in the playoffs, which are the tied for the most all-time by a rookie through his first six career postseason games with Chuck Knoblauch and Ichiro Suzuki (credit: MLB’s Sarah Langs).
JONAH HEIM: Drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single in the 2nd inning…Has hits in all six of the Rangers postseason games.
COREY SEAGER: Singled in the 1st inning…Has reached base in all six Rangers playoff games this year and has been on base (via H, BB, or HBP) 18 total times, which is tied for the fourth-most through a player’s first six games of a postseason; the only players to reach more are Alex Bregman (20 times in 2018), David Ortiz (20 times in 2007) and Edgar Martinez (19 times in 1995).
