Texas leads 1-0
TEXAS RANGERS NOTES:
SIX STRAIGHT: The Rangers have won 6 consecutive games to open this postseason, this after entering the playoffs with a 6-G postseason losing streak…the current 6-G postseason win streak is the longest in franchise history, surpassing a 5-0 span in 2011 (ALDS G2-3-4 vs. TB + ALCS G1-2 vs. DET).
- After never sweeping a series in 8 previous trips to the postseason, Texas has swept both the 2023 ALWC vs. TB (2-0) and 2023 ALDS vs. BAL (3-0)…the 2023 Rangers are just the 7th team in the Wild Card era (since 1995) to win 6-or-more straight to open a postseason…5 of the previous 6 clubs to do it have advanced to the World Series, with only last year’s HOU club winning the WS.
MLB TEAMS WITH WIN STREAKS OF 6+ GAMES
TO OPEN A POSTSEASON, WILD CARD ERA (Since 1995)
Year/Team Win Streak Result
2007 COL 7 Lost WS
2014 KC 8 Lost WS
2016 CLE 6 Lost WS
2017 LAD 6 Lost WS
2020 ATL 7 Lost NLCS
2022 HOU 7 Won WS
2023 TEX 6 TBD
THE ROAD GOES ON FOREVER: Texas has opened this postseason with 5 consecutive road wins, just the 8th time in MLB history that a team has won its 1st 5+ road games in a postseason, 1st instance since the 2018 Red Sox (5)…the 5-G road win streak to open the postseason is T3rd-longest in MLB history, trailing only 1996 NYY (8-0) and 2005 CWS (6-0)…of the 8 all-time instances of teams winning 5+ on road to begin a postseason, Texas owns 2 of the 8 (also 5-0 on road to open 2010 postseason: ALDS G1-2-5 and ALCS G3-4).
- According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Rangers are one of just 3 teams in MLB history to win 4 straight to open a postseason, all on the road…only other teams to do it were the 2020 Astros (4) and 2023 D-backs (4).
- Rangers’ .531 (17-15) all-time postseason road record is T4th-highest win pct. in MLB history (25+ G): NYY (.547, 117-97), BAL/CIN (.540, 27-23), and TEX/CWS (.531, 17-15)
ANOTHER GAME 1 WIN: Texas beat Houston in last night’s Game 1 by a 2-0 score, improving to 3-0 in Game 1 of series this postseason…Rangers are 7-8 all-time in Game 1 of postseason series, winning 4 of 5…Rangers are 6-4 in Game 1’s on the road, winning 4 straight: 2015 ALDS G1 at TOR
(5-3 win), 2023 ALWC G1 at TB, 2023 ALDS G1 at BAL, 2023 ALCS G1 at HOU.
- Since the ALCS became a best-of-7 format in 1985, 22 of the previous 37 teams to win Game 1 have gone on to win the series (59.5%).
- In all best-of-7 postseason series, teams winning Game 1 are 121-67 (.644) in those series.
GAME 2: Texas is 8-5 all-time in Game 2’s entering today, having won 6 of 7 and 8 of the last 10…only Game 2 losses since start of 2010 came in 2010 WS Game 2 at San Francisco and 2016 ALDS Game 2 vs. Toronto… Rangers are 5-4 all-time in road Game 2’s, winning 5 straight: 2011 WS G2
at STL, 2010 ALDS G2 at TB, 2015 ALDS G2 at TOR, 2023 ALWC G2 at TB, 2023 ALDS G2 at BAL.
WITH A WIN TODAY, Texas would:
- Take a 2-games-to-none lead in the ALCS, which would be just 2nd time in 5 all-time chances to win 1st 2 games of a 7-G postseason series (also 2-0 to open 2011 ALCS vs. DET, won that year in 6 games).
- Win a 7th straight game to begin the 2023 postseason, which would be T5th-longest postseason win streak in a single season in MLB history.
- Win a 6th consecutive road game to begin the 2023 postseason, which would be T3rd-longest such streak in a single postseason in MLB history.
- Take games at MMP on back-to-back days for 1st time since 7/28-29/18.
RANGERS PLUS: Texas has out-scored opponents 34-12 this postseason, as the +22 run differential is the 4th-highest ever through the 1st 6 games of a single postseason…the list (credit MLB’s Sarah Langs): 1960 Yankees (+29), 1970 Orioles (+25), 2020 Braves (+23), 2023 Rangers (+22).
NO REACH FOR SEAGER: Corey Seager went 1-for-4 with a single last night, as he has reached safely in each of his 1st 6 postseason games in a Texas uniform…Seager has reached safely via H/BB/HBP a total of 18 times this postseason, T4th-most through a player’s 1st 6 G of a postseason behind only Alex Bregman (20x in 2018), David Ortiz (20x in 2007) and Edgar Martinez (19x in 1995).
A SHUTOUT: The Rangers’ 2-0 win in ALCS G1 last night was the 5th postseason shutout in club history, 2nd in this postseason (also ALWC G1 at TB)…Texas has accounted for 2 of the 4 shutouts in this year’s postseason (also MIN in ALWC G2 vs. TOR; and PHI in NLDS G1 at ATL)…it was the Rangers’ 1st SHO at Minute Maid Park since 5/20/22 (Martin Pérez CG SHO).
FULL MONTY: Each of the 5 postseason shutouts in Rangers history have featured each of the 5 scoreless playoff starts of 6.0+ IP in franchise history…Montgomery now owns 2 of the 5 instances, and the Rangers are 3-0 in his 3 starts in this postseason.
SCORELESS POSTSEASON STARTS OF 6.0+ IP, TEXAS HISTORY (5)
Series/Game Pitcher IP Result
2010 ALDS G2 at TB C.J. Wilson 6.1 W, 6-0
2010 ALCS G3 at NYY Cliff Lee 8.0 W, 8-0
2011 WS G4 vs. STL Derek Holland 8.1 W, 4-0
2023 ALWC G1 at TB Jordan Montgomery 7.0 W, 4-0
2023 ALCS G1 at HOU Jordan Montgomery 6.1 W, 2-0
KID CARTER: Evan Carter double in his 1st ALCS plate appearance last night and scored the game’s 1st run in the 2nd inning…he posted hard-hit balls (95+ mph EV) in 2 of his 3 PA’s vs. Justin Verlander…Carter played last night’s game at the age of 21 years, 47 days, just the 3rd position player so young to appear in a LCS game since the start of 2008…the others: WAS’ Juan Soto in 2019 NLCS (20 yo) and BOS’ Xander Bogaerts in 2013 ALCS (21 yo).
- Carter is the youngest batter in MLB history with at least 5 XBH in his 1st 6 career postseason games…previous youngest was Ronald Acuña Jr., who was 21 years, 290 days old for his 6th postseason game (5 XBH) in 2019.
- Carter’s 5 XBH match the most ever by a Ranger in the 1st 6 games of a single postseason, also done by Nelson Cruz in 2010 and Adrián Beltré in 2011.
LEODY TOO: Leody Taveras was the only batter (either team) with multiple hits in ALCS G1 last night, as he reached safely in all 3 PA’s (HR, 1B, BB)…his 5th-inning solo HR provided the game’s final 2-0 margin…while last night was Verlander’s 3rd postseason start vs. Texas, the only other Ranger to homer off the Astros ace in a playoff game was Nelson Cruz (twice: 2011 ALCS G1 vs. DET and ALCS G5 at DET)…Cruz, the eventual
ALCS MVP that year, flashed “1-0-0” in the dugout after the G1 HR off a Verlander fastball.
- With Taveras’ 1st career postseason HR last night, he joined Carter (ALWC G2 at TB) as Rangers to homer from the 9th slot in the batting order this postseason…the only Rangers to previously homer from the 9-spot in the postseason: Mitch Moreland (3x), Bengie Molina (once), and Robinson Chirinos (once).
MY NAME IS JONAH: Jonah Heim has hit safely in 6 straight to open his postseason career, a single in each contest, and he had the 1st RBI last
night in the 2nd inning…it is the longest postseason hit streak ever by a Texas catcher…Heim joins Evan Carter as Rangers with hits in all 6 games this postseason…they own the longest postseason hit streaks by a Ranger since Ian Kinsler had hits in 6 straight from 2011 ALCS G3 through 2011 WS G2.
50 FOR BOCHY: Rangers manager Bruce Bochy recorded career postseason win no. 50 last night, 5th all-time and just behind 4th-place Dusty Baker (54)…Bochy has won 13 of the last 14 postseason series in which his teams have participated…according to MLB’s Sarah Langs, Bochy is the 7th manager to reach the LCS round with 3 different franchises…Bochy will attempt to become the 1st manager in MLB history to win an LCS with 3 different teams (SD/SF/TEX). Bochy’s .602 (50-33) postseason win pct. is 3rd all-time among managers with 5+ appearances in the postseason to only Hall of Famers Joe McCarthy (30-13, .698) and Sparky Anderson (34-21, .618).
SHORTS: Taveras is just the 2nd centerfielder to hit a HR for Texas in the postseason, joining Josh Hamilton (6x)…the last HR by a TEX CF before Taveras last night?: Hamilton’s 2-R blast in the 10th inning of 2011 WS G6 at STL…TEX is 4-3 all-time in ALCS road games…this is the 1st ALCS matchup of division rivals since 2008, and the first ever to feature a pair of A.L. West clubs…the previous 5 instances were all A.L. East matchups (last TB over BOS in 2008)…last night’s 2 R matched fewest ever in a TEX postseason win (also 2-1 win in 2011 WS G2 at STL).
TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHER – #17 Nathan Eovaldi, RHP (2-0, 1.32)
POSTSEASON: Eovaldi will be making his 3rd start of the 2023 postseason today, working on extra 5 days’ rest after earning the win in Texas’ series-clinching 7-1 victory on Tues. in ALDS G3 vs. BAL (see ‘Last Start’)…has gone 6-3, 2.70 ERA (17 ER/56.2 IP) across 13 G/8 GS in his postseason career with Texas (2023) and Boston (2021, 2018)…his 6 career postseason wins are T9th-most among active MLB pitchers…ranks among hurlers with 50.0+ postseason innings in the Wild Card Era (beg. 1995) in opp. OPS (4th, .522), HR/9 (T4th, 0.48), WHIP (7th, 0.94), and ERA (12th).
- Texas: Has earned wins in each of his 2 starts during Texas’ 2023 postseason run, going 2-0, 1.32 ERA (2 ER/13.2 IP) with 15 strikeouts, no walks, and no HR allowed… he is just the 3rd pitcher in MLB history to open a postseason with 15+ SO and no BB over his first 2 outings, joining TEX’s Cliff Lee in 2010 (21 SO/0 BB) and BOS’ Josh Beckett in 2007 (15 SO/0 BB)…additionally, Eovaldi is the 1st pitcher in MLB history to achieve those totals and avoid surrendering a home run in his first 2 appearances of a postseason…his 2 wins already rank T4th among the Rangers alltime postseason leaders (4-Colby Lewis, 3-Cliff Lee/Derek Holland), while his 15 SO are the most by a Texas pitcher in a single postseason since C.J. Wilson in 2011 (26).
- Boston: Ranks T5th in Red Sox history with 4 postseason wins…in 2018, won both starts (ALDS G3 at NYY; ALCS G3 at HOU) and made 4 relief appearances, posting 1.61 ERA (4 ER/22.1 IP) with 3 BB/16 SO…became the 4th pitcher to throw 6.0+ innings and allow 2 runs or fewer in each of his first 2 career postseason outings, both for BOS…the others are Dutch Leonard (1915-16), Babe Ruth (1916-18), and Jim Lonborg (1967)…in 2018 World Series G3 at LAD, threw 97 pitches in relief during the Sox’ 3-2, 18-inning loss (6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO).
LAST START: Earned the win in Rangers’ series-clinching 7-1 victory on Tues. in ALDS G3 vs. BAL (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R-ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 98 pitches/76 strikes)…threw 76 of 98 (77.6%) pitches for strikes, the 2nd-highest strike pct. produced in any MLB postseason contest (min. 5.0 IP) since the year 2000 (80.0% by NYY’s Andy Pettitte in 2001 WS G2 at ARI)…7.0 IP matched Eovaldi’s postseason career high (also 7.0 IP in 2018 ALDS G3 at NYY w/ BOS)…he now owns 2 of the 5 series-clinching wins by a starting pitcher in Rangers postseason history, and is now the only Texas pitcher with 2 such wins.
VS. HOUSTON: Owns a lifetime 5-6 record and 4.58 ERA (36 ER/70.2 IP) over 15 G/13 GS against the Astros, incl. 2-2, 5.09 ERA (10 ER/17.2 IP) in 5 G/3 GS vs. Houston in the postseason…last playoff outing opposite the ‘Stros came in start for Boston in 2021 ALCS G6 at HOU (L, 4.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R-ER, 1 BB, 4 SO), taking the loss in a 5-0 defeat which eliminated the Red Sox from that year’s postseason…went 1-1, 4.32 (4 ER/8.1 IP) in 2 starts vs. Houston in 2023 (both at Globe Life Field), the last of which came in Texas’ 14-1 loss on 9/5 vs. HOU (L, 1.1 IP, 4 R-ER)…surrendered solo HRs to Jose Altuve in the 1st and 2nd innings as part of a 3-HR game for the Astros’ second baseman.
ON ROAD: Saw slightly better results in 13 starts on the road (6-2, 3.56 ERA) vs. 12 starts at Globe Life Field (6-3, 3.70 ERA) in regular season…had nearly identical opp. slash lines allowed in away starts (.227/.294/.367.661) vs. at home (.221/.296/.400/.696)…in 7 G/5 GS on the road in his postseason career: 4-2, 2.21 ERA (9 ER/36.2 IP), 30 SO/5 BB…T5th-most road wins in postseason among active MLB pitchers, and 2.21 road ERA in postseason is 12th-lowest all-time (min. 5 road starts in PS). did not pitch here in 2023, but has gone 4-2, 3.06 ERA (12 ER/35.1 IP) across 7 G/6 GS in his career at Minute Maid Park…4 of those 7 outings came in postseason (2-1, 3.18 ERA in 4 G/3 GS) during ALCS w/ BOS in 2021 and 2018…last pitched here in regular-season start for Red Sox on 8/1/22 at HOU (W, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R-0 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO).
2023: Went 12-5, 3.63 ERA (58 ER/144.0 IP) with 132 strikeouts over 25 starts in his first season with Texas…had All-Star campaign interrupted by lengthy stint on 15-day Injured List (right forearm strain) from 7/27-9/4…was 11-3, 2.69 (37 ER/123.2 IP) over first 19 starts prior to being placed IL, but went 1-2, 9.30 ERA (21 ER/20.1 IP) across final 6 starts following activation…still finished season ranked among A.L. pitchers (min. 140.0 IP) in opp. BA (5th, .225), H/9 (5th, 7.31), wins (T10th), and ERA (13th).
STAY WINNING: Eovaldi’s 12 wins in 2023 were the 2nd-most of his career (14 in 2015 w/ NYY) and tied for the most by a Rangers pitcher over the last 4 seasons (also 12, Martín Pérez in 2022/Dane Dunning in 2023)…his .706 winning pct. ranked 4th in A.L. (min. 20 GS) to NYY’s Gerrit Cole (.789), BAL’s Dean Kremer (.722), and CLE’s Tanner Bibee (.714)…it was also the 5th-best single-season win pct. ever by a Texas pitcher with at least 25 starts: 762-Derek Holland in 2011, .750-Cole Hamels in 2016, .741-Rick Helling in 1998, .708-Kenny Rogers in 1995, .706-Eovaldi in 2023.
BY THE NUMBERS: Opposing batters slashed .225/.295/.382/.677 (117-521), including reverse splits vs. LHB (.201 BA/.579 OPS) and RHB (.245 BA/.762 OPS)…was one of 4 A.L. pitchers (min. 140.0 IP) to post a ground ball pct. above 50% this season: BOS’ Brayan Bello (56.6%), HOU’s Framber Valdez (55.0%), HOU’s Hunter Brown (52.6%), and Eovaldi (51.5%)…2nd-highest GB pct. of his career (53.2% in 2015 with2 NYY)… had 4 starts of at least 8.0 IP, T3rd-most in MLB behind only MIA’s Sandy Alcantara (6) and KC’s Jordan Lyles (5)…his 8.25 SO/9 was his lowest mark in that category since 2018 (8.19 with TB/BOS)…fell one out shy of CG SHO on 5/11 at OAK (W, 8.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 SO, 113 pitches/78 strikes), but established a new career high with 12 SO.
COMPLETE GAMES: Produced complete games on 4/29 vs. NYY (W, 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R) and 5/23 at PIT (W, 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R-ER), finishing as one of 7 MLB pitchers with multiple complete games in ‘23…1st Rangers hurler with multiple CG in a season since Mike Minor in 2019 (2 CG)…shutout on 4/29 vs. NYY was the 1st 9.0-inn. SHO of his career, 1st by a Texas pitcher since Martín Pérez on 5/20/22 at HOU (9.0 SHO IP), and the 1st CG SHO ever by a TEX pitcher at Globe Life Field…he became the 1st native Texan to throw a CG SHO for the Rangers since Roger Pavlik on 9/7/95 vs. CWS (9.0 SHO IP).
STREAKING: Posted career-best 29.2-inning scoreless streak from 4/24-5/17, T5th-longest in Rangers history: 39.0-Kenny Rogers, 5/6-6/1/95; 36.0-Charlie Hough, 8/23-9/14/83; 33.1-Yovani Gallardo, 6/10-7/7/15; 31.0-Rogers, 4/27-5/20/05; 29.2-Eovaldi, 4/24-5/17/23/Jeff Zimmerman, 5/25-8/2/99…recorded 8.0+ SHO IP in 3 straight starts from 4/29-5/6, becoming just the 3rd pitcher in TEX history with 3 consecutive outings of at least 8.0 SHO IP: Martín Pérez (3, 4/13-23/14) and Charlie Hough (3, 8/28-9/7/83)…Eovaldi also struck out 25 batters while issuing just 3 walks over that stretch, just the 6th pitcher in the modern era (since 1900) to have a 3-start span with 25.0+ SHO IP, 25+ SO, and 3-or-fewer walks.
HOUSTON ASTROS NOTES:
ALCS GAME 2: The Astros and Rangers will play Game 2 of the 2023 American League Championship Series today with Houston looking to even up the series at a game apiece…today’s starters, LHP Framber Valdez and RHP Nathan Eovaldi, are very familiar with each other, and actually faced each other last month, on Sept. 5 at TEX…in that contest, Valdez (1ER/7IP) pitched the Astros to a 14-1 win over Eovaldi (4ER/1.1IP).
THE FRAMCHISE: LHP Framber Valdez has gone 7-3 with a 3.82 ERA in 14 career postseason outings (13 starts)…Valdez’s seven postseason wins rank second in club history, trailing RHP Justin Verlander (10)…his seven career postseason are also the most by a Dominican-born pitcher in postseason history, one more than the Hall of Famer RHP Pedro Martinez (6-4).
FAMILIAR FOE: RHP Nathan Eovaldi has matched up against the Astros in 15 career games (13 starts), going 5-6 with a 4.58 ERA opposite Houston, which includes postseason action…2B Jose Altuve has faced Eovaldi in 38 career at-bats, hitting .289 with five homers in those matchups…DH Yordan Alvarez (.727, 8×11, HR) and 3B Alex Bregman (.421, 8×19, HR) join Altuve in having career success opposite Eovaldi.
LCS HISTORY: The Astros are appearing in their 11th LCS in franchise history (1980, 1986, 2004-05, 2017-23), having won the series in five of their previous 10…all-time, the Astros are 5-5 in Game 2 of the LCS and are 3-3 dating back to 2017.
WE’RE BACK!: The Astros are playing in their unprecedented seventh straight American League Championship Series (2017- 23)…they are just the second team in MLB history to advance to seven straight LCS (since 1969), joining the 1991-99 Atlanta Braves (excluding 1994 when the LCS was not played), who did so in eight straight completed seasons…2B Jose Altuve, 3B Alex Bregman and RHP Justin Verlander are the only three players who have been with the Astros for all seven.
LAST SIX ALCS MATCHUPS
2017 HOU vs. NYY (HOU in 7) 2020 HOU vs. TB (TB in 7)
2018 HOU vs. BOS (BOS in 5) 2021 HOU vs. BOS (HOU in 6)
2019 HOU vs. NYY (HOU in 6) 2022 HOU vs. NYY (HOU in 4)
AN EARLY DEFICIT: The Astros have gone 4-7 in Game 1s of the ALCS and World Series over the last seven seasons…in that span, the Astros have came back to win a seven-game series after losing Game 1 three times: the 2022 World Series vs. PHI, the 2019 ALCS vs. NYY, and the 2017 World Series vs. LAD.
POSTSEASON VETS: Since 2017, the Astros have played more postseason games (91) and have earned more postseason wins (56) than any other club…the Astros are 56-35 in that span with a .615 winning pct. in the postseason.
THE ALCS ROSTER: The Astros ALCS roster includes 13 pitchers and 13 position players…there was one change from their ALDS roster, with RHP Ronel Blanco being added, replacing OF Jake Meyers…on the roster are veterans 2B Jose Altuve (97 games) and 3B Alex Bregman (91 games), who have played the most postseason games among all active MLB players.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Astros were shutout last night, 2-0, by LHP Jordan Montgomery (6.1IP) and three Rangers relievers in Game 1 of the 2023 ALCS…RHP Justin Verlander (2ER/6.2IP) had a solid start, but was handed the loss…the Astros recorded just five singles on the night, marking their first postseason game this year without a homer.
COMING UP BIG: 2B Jose Altuve is all over MLB’s career postseason leaderboards, as he enters tonight ranking second in postseason history in homers (24), third in runs (80), fourth in hits (107), fourth in extra-base hits (42) and eighth in RBI (50)…all-time postseason rankings below:
RUNS SCORED (#1-3) RBI (#7-9)
- Derek Jeter 111 7. Albert Pujols 54
- Bernie Williams 83 8. Jose Altuve 50
- Jose Altuve 80 9. Alex Bregman 49
THE HOT CORNER: 3B Alex Bregman has played seven full seasons in the Majors (2017-23) and has advanced to at least the ALCS in every full year, winning two championships…he enters the series with 16 career postseason homers and 49 career postseason RBI, both MLB records for a third baseman.
TOSSING ZEROES: RHP Bryan Abreu has a pair of lengthy scoreless innings streaks working entering today…including regular season action, Abreu has worked 32.0 consecutive scoreless innings, across 31 appearances, dating back to July 18…in postseason play, Abreu has worked 16.1 consecutive scoreless innings, spanning his last 15 postseason appearances, including all 11 of his postseason appearances in 2022.
THE KING:RHP Ryan Pressly is 13-for-13 in career postseason save opportunities, giving him the most postseason saves in Astros club history, and giving him the fifth-most saves in MLB postseason history…Pressly did not allow an earned run in 11.0 innings last postseason, and has not allowed an earned run in each of his last 17 postseason appearances (18.2IP).
SILVER BOOT SECURED: Winning the Silver Boot (the season series with the Rangers) proved to be huge this season for the Astros, as it ended up as the tiebreaker to win the AL West and the difference in taking home field advantage for this series…the Astros went 9-4 against the Rangers this year and have claimed the Silver Boot in each of the last seven years (2017-23), going 79-39 vs. the Rangers in the regular season in that time frame.
THE LONE STAR STATE RIVALRY: This series represents the first postseason matchup between the two franchises in the great state of Texas…in fact, this season is just the fourth time in MLB history for these two teams to make the postseason in the same year (also, 1998-99, 2015)…an LCS between two intra-state rivals has never happened before, but it has happened in the World Series, last occurring in 2002, when
Dusty Baker managed San Francisco against Anaheim in a seven-game series won by the Angels.
TODAY’S ASTROS STARTER: LHP FRAMBER VALDEZ
LAST START – 10/8 vs. MIN: received the start in Game 2 of ALDS, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits through 4.1 innings with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.
ABOUT VALDEZ: the lefty put together another solid campaign, including an Opening Day start, his 2nd consecutive All-Star selection and 1st career no-hitter.
- had an excellent first half this season, going 7-6 with a 2.51 ERA… had the lowest qualified ERA in the Majors and was the first Astro to lead the Majors in ERA at the All-Star Break since RHP Roger Clemens (1.48 ERA, 2005).
- after a slow start to the second half, rebounded over his last 7 starts, going 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA and logging 5 quality starts during that stretch.
- ranked T-3rd in the AL quality starts (20), 3rd in innings pitched (198.0), 7th in ERA (3.45), 5th in opponent OPS (.656), 6th in pitching WAR (4.6) and 7th in strikeouts (200).
POSTSEASON STANDOUT: has gone 7-3 with a 3.82 ERA (31ER/73IP) in 14 career postseason outings.
- is 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA (6ER/29.2IP) in 5 career ALCS starts, holding opponents to a .190 (20×105) batting average…4 of his 5 ALCS starts have been quality starts and the Astros are 4-1 in those contests…made his last ALCS start in Game 2 of the 2022 ALCS vs. NYY…allowed 2 unearned runs on 4 hits through 7.0 innings with 9 strikeouts and no walks in a 3-2 win over the Yankees…the 9 strikeouts matched his postseason single-game high, which he’s accomplished on 4 occasions…tossed a postseason career-high 8.0 innings in Game 5 of the 2021 ALCS at BOS, which the Astros won, 9-1.
- his 1.82 ERA in the LCS is the 8th-lowest in MLB postseason history (min. 25 IP).
- was magnificent in the 2022 postseason, going 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA (4ER/25IP) in 4 starts, which included two World Series starts.
- since his postseason debut in 2020, leads all Major League pitchers in wins (7), innings pitched (73.0), starts (13) and strikeouts (80).
- got the start in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series vs. PHI, resulting in a 4-1 win to clinch the club’s 2nd World Series Championship…allowed 1 run on 2 hits through 6.0 innings with 9 strikeouts and 2 walks that night to pick up the winning decision.
- among Dominican-born pitchers in the postseason, ranks 1st in wins (7), 2nd in strikeouts (80) and 2nd in innings (73.0)…trails only RHP Pedro Martinez in strikeouts (96) and innings (96.1).
- is tied with RHP Lance McCullers Jr. for the 2nd-most strikeouts (80) in Astros postseason history… also ranks 2nd in wins (7) and 2nd in innings pitched (73.0).
VS. TEX: has been phenomenal vs. the Rangers in his career, going 7-5 with a 2.90 ERA (27ER/83.2IP) with a .215 opponent’s batting average (67×311) in 16 career outings (13 starts)… his 2.90 ERA is the 3rd-lowest of active players vs. the Rangers (min. 80 IP).
- made his last start vs. the Rangers on Sept. 5 at Globe Life Field…allowed 1 run on 6 hits through 7.0 innings with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts in a 14-1 Astros victory.
- since 2021, has recorded a 2.24 ERA (16ER/64.1IP) in 10 starts (9 quality starts) vs. the Rangers, with the Astros going 6-4 in those games.
