Rangers Sweep, Astros One Win Away From Texas Showdown

Two teams that looked anemic down the stretch now look unbeatable.

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Orioles no match for Rangers’ high-scoring offense

The Rangers beat the Orioles 7-1 and move on to the American League Championship Series against either the Astros or Twins. It’s the Rangers’ third trip to the ALCS and the first since 2011. Manager Bruce Bochy has now led 3 different teams to an LCS (Padres in 1998 and the Giants in 2010, 2012, and 2014).

The Rangers’ sweep came as a surprise to some baseball observers. Yes, the Baltimore Orioles won 101 games this season. Yes, the Rangers won only 90 games and struggled in September. But based on each team’s run differential, the Rangers’ expected win-loss record was 96-66, while the Orioles’ expected record was 94-68.

That’s why, after the Wild Card Series, I was leaning toward the Rangers. In my X-Factors post, I wrote:

The smart money is on the Orioles in this series, but I have to ask why. Over the 2023 season, FanGraphs WAR says the Rangers performed better on offense and defense, and had stronger starting pitching. . . .

Owing much to their excellent bullpen, the Orioles were 30-16 in one-run games. Remember the Marlins? They had an even better record in one-run games. But as we saw in their Wild Card Series against the Phillies, you have to keep a game close to have a chance to win by one run. The key for the Orioles will be to keep the Rangers’ offense in check.

The Orioles could not keep the Rangers’ offense in check. Period. Full stop.

Game 1 starter Kyle Bradish had the most success, but in Games 2 and 3, starters Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer couldn’t get out of the 2nd inning, which put the games out of reach for an Orioles offense that never kicked into gear. We got a taste of Gunnar Henderson’s spectacular future, but his teammates couldn’t do much against Rangers’ pitching.

I want to say word about Dean Kremer. He is a dual Israeli-American citizen—the first Israeli to play in on an MLB team. His parents and other family live in Israel. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for Kremer to focus on baseball in the days leading up to his start in Game 3, after learning of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and wondering if his family and friends were safe. It was so meaningful to me to see Kremer wearing a Star of David on a chain around his neck, poking out from underneath his Orioles jersey.

The biggest surprise of the series was just how well Rangers pitchers performed. Andrew Heaney and Jordan Montgomery turned in solid starts in Games 1 and 2; Nathan Eovaldi took it to another level in the clinching Game 3 by going 7 strong and allowing only 1 run.

And the Rangers’ bullpen, which was the Achilles heel of the team all season, outpitched the much-hyped Orioles’ bullpen. Texas relievers pitched 14 2/3 innings over the 3 games and gave up only 4 runs. They had to pitch through traffic after giving up 10 hits and 6 walks but contained the damage. Something to key an eye on in the Championship Series.

The Rangers now wait for the winner of the Astros-Twins series. The ALCS begins on Sunday, October 15.

Astros one win away from 7th consecutive ALCS

Cheating or no cheating. Banging or no banging. The Astros have been a postseason juggernaut since 2017, when they won their first World Series. This season, it appears, is no different.

Twins fans were still waving their red towels in excitement when Jose Altuve smacked the 4th pitch of the game to center field for a leadoff single. Four batters later, the Astros had a 4-0 lead. Game over.

Sure, the game went on for another 8 2/3 innings. The Astros added another 5 runs and won 9-1. All told, José Abreu hit two home runs, Alex Bregman hit one, and Yordan Alvarez hit one. It was Alvarez’s 4th home run in the Astros’ first 3 games of the postseason. And thanks to the great Sarah Langs, we know that Alvarez is only the second player in MLB history to record 20 total bases in the first 3 games of a postseason.

An Astros offense in high gear isn’t that much of a surprise. It’s just what they do in October.

Cristian Javier’s dominance on the mound for the Astros in Game 3 was a bit of a surprise. Javier didn’t pitch all that well during the regular season, particularly compared to his performance in 2022 or even 2021. Here’s a snapshot of his key stats from FanGraphs.

Strikeouts were down. Walks and home runs allowed were up. And his ERA ballooned.

What we saw yesterday was the Javier from the 2022 postseason when he pitched 12 2/3 innings across 3 games and allowed a total of 1 run and 2 hits and stuck out 16. Some guys just shine in October.

Game 4 is today at 7:07 pm EDT/6:07 CDT/4:00 pm PDT. José Urquidy will start for the Astros. Joe Ryan will be on the hill for the Twins.

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