The Texas Rangers pulled off a stunner right out of the gate of the 2023 American League Championship Series. In Game 1 of that matchup between AL West division rivals, the Rangers came out on top with a 2-0 victory. That was a sweet win for the Rangers made even sweeter by the fact that it came at the expense of the dynastic Astros, who have been ruling the AL West for quite some time now.
“They've owned this division for a while now,” Rangers reliever Will Smith said of the Astros (h/t Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports). “So, yeah, we obviously want to come in and not be the little brother anymore.”
Jordan Montgomery sizzled on the mound in Game 1 to lead the Rangers to the win. He held the Astros scoreless for 6.1 innings while allowing only five hits and a walk to go with six strikeouts on 90 pitches. Smith did not see action but three Texas relievers got the job done the rest of the way.
The Astros have won the AL West title in each of the last three regular seasons and in six of the last seven. The Rangers last topped the division in 2016, which they also did a year prior.
The Rangers are on a fantastic run in the 2023 MLB playoffs
With their win in the series opener against the Astros, the Rangers managed to maintain a clean slate since the start of the 2023 MLB postseason. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild-Card round before wiping out the Baltimore Orioles in three games in the ALDS.
This dominant run in the playoffs by the Rangers is impressive, to say the least. Winning Game 1 of the ALCS definitely sends a strong message to the Astros and must have also backed the reigning and defending World Series champions closer to the corner. Another win by the Rangers this Monday in Game 2 of the series would put Houston in an extremely uncomfortable position, with Games 3, 4, and 5 all scheduled to be played in Arlington.
The Rangers, who have not been to the World Series since 2011, will get the ball to Nathan Eovaldi in Game 2, while the Astros will start Framber Valdez.
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