2023 ALCS: Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros

Two teams that supposedly hate each other from the same st

God I hate laptops. Will try again...

Two teams that supposedly hate each other from the same state, first time facing each other in the playoffs--this could be a great series. I wouldn't want to be pitcher in this one. The world outside of Houston will be rooting for Texas, but I think Houston will find a way to win.

(In 7.)

Texas in 6 imo

Astros in 6 as I think Bochy is good for only two wins here

Most people love Dusty Baker and hate the Astros. I think they will win in 7, and that we will have a repeat of last year's Series.

Texas in 7

Texas in six, sadly.

Bruce Bochy, 1984 Las Vegs Stars. @Padres pic.twitter.com/HpIF1lSsGG

— Vintage Jerseys & Hats (@PolyesterUnis) October 10, 2023

Might be just as sad as the dodgers losing if the astros win this.

bochy’s head almost as large in 84 as now

painful but Astros in 5

Houston can lick my *********

Go ****** a ******************

Sure hope so:

https://www.mlb.com/news/max-scherzer-ready-to-pitch-in-alcs-for-rangers

This is as cherry-picked as it gets, but they really do feel like the same kind of hitter.

https://i.postimg.cc/sDGb9sHN/orvarez.jpg

(With, obviously, the same flair for the dramatic.)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

uh is A-Rod going hard on the spray tanner?

Lol

Results are a tie, of course

Joe Davis is in the house

Rangers aggressiveness pays off

Verlander gets out of it, wow

Good game

The only thing that gets me anxious these days is seeing Yordan Alvarez at the plate in the post season. The dudes stoic face and massive frame is just suffocating. He looks like he doesn’t care, like he’d rather be fishing, yet he will hit a bomb on a high fastball outside the zone to take the lead and there’s nothing you can do about it

Honestly just walk him here

Did I just see a lady wearing a “Ran-Gels” jersey? Disgusting

What a pitch

Yeah that was perfect.

...

Couldn't score there, huh

Wow

Verlander giving it up to the 9th place hitter

Oh 2012

Montgomery is dealing

What a performance from Montgomery. Hope he gets through 7 scoreless

That Montgomery/Stratton trade looking very very wise from the Rangers right about now

It was a strike

Verlander being himself

They pull him and do get out of it

And now Montgomery is out

90 pitches, a wise preemptive move

Yeap

uhhh that was not ball 4

Frogbs, your all right

What

I thought last night's miss came at a pretty critical moment.

Oh wait yeah sorry I was misremembering home runs (thought it was the Garcia grand slam), that first one kind of did matter

The one he actually caught didn't matter in the least.

I am really happy for these Rangers

how often has a team lost 4 home games in a single series? that's just brutal for the fans

2019 ws iirc

astros did in 2019 ws lol

lol yes I was gonna say I knew it happened recently and also caused a few people to ask "how often does this happen", forgot it was this very same team

who has home field between the rangers and phillies? they may not want it

If it's Rangers-Phillies, as exciting as the Phillies are, I'll root for Texas because of their 2011 heartbreak (and Semien and Scherzer are among my favourite players). Has the makings of a great series. If it's Rangers-Diamondbacks...I will have to find some hook to keep me interested (above and beyond "it's the World Series").

if the d-backs win the ws does madbum get a ring y/n

Has any team ever knocked out three more formidable opponents? Probably. But the Rangers will have beaten a team that won 99, a team that won 101, and the defending WS champions.

Astros just trying to prove they don’t cheat at home anymore with these ridiculous home-road splits.

I don’t think he does? It’s only those on the team at the end of the season, right?

if the d-backs win the ws does madbum get a ring y/n

I read that he does

One of the Giants beat writers

What if they were to activate him and bring him out of the bullpen in a Game 7 just to mess with Bochy's head?

Ah, Yordan--I will miss you.

I’m not a fan of the cranky old man, but this is pretty funny

In the hours before another Game 7 for Bruce Bochy today, he got a text from Madison Bumgarner, offering to pitch.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 23, 2023

I wish it was legal by Gardner being activated by the Rangers to pitch against diamondbacks would be an all time post season story, regardless of the result

*bumgarner (I really need to turn off autocorrect!!!!!)

Speechless!

garcia rubbing it in

C'mon, you're entitled: middle finger to the stands.

This is Reggie-Pujols stuff.

Damnit I just turned it off to walk to the homebrew store. What was I thinking!

The cupped ear's almost as good as a middle finger.

there's a homebrew store?!

Clearly payback for Garcia, I can tell--have to suspend him.

Homebrew supplies, truly the best hobby to mix with baseball fandom, and it’s a 5 minute walk from my house so Peach is always happy to get an extra walk down the street ⚾️🍻🦮

I would very much not like getting hit by a Chapman fastball

The only way to make sure is to permanently suspend all astros

I would not like getting hit by any major league fastball.

One more inning!

So who would be in line for the win? I forget the rule on this.

that is, not Scherzer

I'd give it to Garcia...If not, it's up to the scorer to determine who was most deserving (but I don't think Scherzer's eligible unless he goes five).

I suspect it will go to Montgomery.

wow that was a bomb

A homerun here, a grand slam afterwards, then a solo home run… and we’ll have ourselves a ballgame!

well that would at least make it a save situation

Damn thought we were getting bases loaded

Tucker will end this with a great warning-track catch by Garcia.

Woo!!!

Hahaha the colourful backpack!

the W is supposed to go to the most effective reliever, but in situations like this they almost always give it to the first one. in this case yeah it’s montgomery either way

Congrats Rangers

For Torontonians, think I just spotted Hazel Mae interviewing Bochy.

Astros are going to tear down Enron Field in the offseason

JUST IN: Dusty Baker has expressed to multiple inside & outside the Astros organization that 2023 will be his final season as manager, sources tell The Athletic.

◻️ 2x World Series Champion
◻️ 3x Manager of the Year
◻️ 19 years as a player
◻️ 26 years as a manager

Details ⤵️

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 24, 2023

Let Dusty Rest at his (solar) farm

"You don’t tug on Adolis Garcia’s cape."
--unnamed baseball writer