Series Thread: Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros in the 2023 ALCS October 15-23

[TheLonestarDUCK]

The Rangers have to win these next two games if they are to go to the World Series. It is time for the offense to score in double digits tonight.

I softly disagree - Astros are not a good home team. We all know a team with a losing home record has never made the World Series. I think the Rangers can win the series in Houston if necessary.

 

[scotsman1948]

Chapman should not be on the roster if we make it to the World Series. Will Smith should only be available to pitch in blowouts; not in games that we and the opponent are still in.

Agree on both but what options do we have at this moment? We can say goodbye to both when off-season starts who replaces them now?

 

[scotsman1948]

I softly disagree - Astros are not a good home team. We all know a team with a losing home record has never made the World Series. I think the Rangers can win the series in Houston if necessary.

Every extra game is advantage Astros. We need to go all in in these next 2 games and we need max effort from all phases of the team. Pitching was awful last night but with all that it was the lack of any offense except for Jung. If not for him last night would have been a rout

 

[saddles]

Agree on both but what options do we have at this moment? We can say goodbye to both when off-season starts who replaces them now?

They can be used in games where the lead is securely in hand, at the present. Chapman should no longer be used in the 8th inning.

 

[saddles]

I softly disagree - Astros are not a good home team. We all know a team with a losing home record has never made the World Series. I think the Rangers can win the series in Houston if necessary.

The Astros aren't a very good home team and yet not much would have had to go wrong for us to lose both games down there, not much at all. Bochy is going to continue to use Chapman and that is going to cost us, and it may cost us every time he pitches for the rest of this series. I want to get this thing over as soon as possible.

 

[scotsman1948]

They can be used in games where the lead is securely in hand at the present. Chapman should no longer be used in the 8th inning.

I agree but the possible options aren’t much better. Basically we need the offense to beat the crap out of the Astros pitching early and often or we have no chance

 

[saddles]

I agree but the possible options aren’t much better. Basically we need the offense to beat the crap out of the Astros pitching early and often or we have no chance

There are much better options than Chapman for the 8th. Just about everyone in the pen besides Smith is better than Chapman at this point.

Just give Smith the Stratton treatment.

 

[TheLonestarDUCK]

The Astros aren't a very good home team and yet not much would have had to go wrong for us to lose both games down there, not much at all. Bochy is going to continue to use Chapman and that is going to cost us, and it may cost us every time he pitches for the rest of this series. I want to get this thing over as soon as possible.

Yes - hopefully wrap this up in Arlington. But if we go to Houston up 3-2. I still like our chances.

 

[scotsman1948]

There are much better options than Chapman for the 8th. Just about everyone in the pen besides Smith is better than Chapman at this point.

Just give Smith the Stratton treatment.

I agree I don’t want to see Chapman again. I’m think that we may see Heaney, Dunning and maybe Sborz and Leclerc tonight and possibly Montgomery, Bradford, Perez & the Kitchen sink if necessary in Game 5

 

[saddles]

Yes - hopefully wrap this up in Arlington. But if we go to Houston up 3-2. I still like our chances.

It depends on how we lost the game prior to going down there.

Are the bats asleep? If so, then we are toast.

Did the bullpen-game in Game 4 go wrong? Then we are okay if we win Game 6. I do not trust Scherzer against the Astros in Game 7. Even at that, we have to Chapman-proof the lead in Game 6.

 

[saddles]

I agree I don’t want to see Chapman again. I’m think that we may see Heaney, Dunning and maybe Sborz and Leclerc tonight and possibly Montgomery, Bradford, Perez & the Kitchen sink if necessary in Game 5

If we have a lead, unless it is a very large one, in the 8th inning tonight, then it is guaranteed that Botchy will put Chapman in the game. That is unfortunate, but it is almost certain to happen.

 

[scotsman1948]

If we have a lead, unless it is a very large one, in the 8th inning tonight, then it is guaranteed that Botchy will put Chapman in the game. That is unfortunate, but it is almost certain to happen.

We need to kick the offense in the ass to avoid that happening. We made Javier throw a lot of pitches last night and did nothing

 

[saddles]

Yep.

 

[saddles]

We need to kick the offense in the ass to avoid that happening. We made Javier throw a lot of pitches last night and did nothing

Agree. The best medicine for the pitching staff is to keep the throttle on the floor offensively.

 

[jaar01]

Astros have scored 59 runs in last 5 games at Texas. They have won 7 of 8 games played at Texas this year. They are fully expecting to be up 3-2 heading back to Houston.

Beating JV twice in this series seems unreasonable. We HAVE to win tonight. Simply have to.

 

[redskinsfan1963]

can,t believe arenado from the cards got snubbed for the first time in ten years.

 

[jaar01]

Bottom line: a 7 game series is a different animal. It exposes every weakness a team has. Pitching, overall, favors the Astros. Overall better SP, overall better BP. Offense, this season, favored the Rangers. We must win a game this series because we just plain hammer them.

We will not score a lot against JV tomorrow or in a game 7 against Javier. That leaves tonight and game 6 in Houston.

Offense has got to show up tonight. Period. This is the one.

 

[saddles]

Let's hope Heaney can give us 5 innings and Dunning can finish it out with 4 strong innings. Meanwhile the offense needs to score early and often with 3 or 4 crooked numbers showing up in the boxscore, along with some single-run nnings too.

 

[Kelleyman]

Let's hope Heaney can give us 5 innings and Dunning can finish it out with 4 strong innings. Meanwhile the offense needs to score early and often with 3 or 4 crooked numbers showing up in the boxscore, along with some single-run nnings too.

Well I hope so too but they pitched less last time even together
If we could get Heaney through the order 2 1/2 times in 6+ innings that would be ideal

 

[saddles]