ARLINGTON, Texas — How quickly the tables have turned.
After the Rangers stole the first two games of the American League Championship Series from the Astros in Houston, the team's hated in-state rivals went and did the same to Texas in Games 3 and 4, winning back-to-back games on the road and tying the series up.
Worse, the Rangers only barely made a contest of a Game 4 that they eventually lost 10-3.
The Astros' night-long offensive explosion started early on Thursday night at Globe Life Field as the team scored three runs in the first inning and knocked starting Rangers pitcher Andrew Heaney out of the game after just two outs.
And while the Rangers came back from that early Astros start -- Texas scored two runs in the second inning, then notched a third run in the third inning (thanks to solo home run from previously quiet slugger Corey Seager) -- Houston's bats were unrelenting all night long.
From that point on, the Rangers only put zeroes up on the scoreboard.
Meanwhile, the Astros managed another four runs in the fourth, another two runs in the seventh and an insurance 10th run in the eighth.
Houston's stars came out to play, indeed.
Second baseman Jose Altuve registered three hits and a walk on the night, and managed to find his way home three times.
First baseman Jose Abreu, reminding Rangers fans why he won the 2020 MVP as a member of the Chicago White Sox, hit a towering three-run bomb in the fourth after a deep ball from designated hitter Yordan Alvarez flirted with grand slam potential only to end up a sacrifice fly that scored one.
And Alvarez, even while coming up short on his grand slam effort, continued to establish his mere presence in the batter's box as Rangers fan nightmare fuel with a two-hit, three-RBI overall performance.
Those bats wreaked havoc on an ailing Rangers pitching staff -- and likely hurt that group's availability in Friday afternoon's Game 5. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy called upon six different pitchers over the course of Game 4's nine innings, none of which lasted three innings, and only one of which, Chris Stratton, left the game without having given up an earned run.
In the end, the roof being open at Globe Life Field didn't make much of a difference. As was also true on Wednesday night, the story on Thursday was the one that these two teams have played out all season long when squaring off in Arlington, with Houston completely owning the narrative.
In the 2023 regular season, the Astros were 6-1 against the Rangers at Globe Life Field, outscoring Texas 63-29.
In the 2023 postseason, the Astros are now 2-0 in Arlington, outscoring the Rangers 18-5.
The series is now guaranteed to go at least six games, and to return to Houston for a Game 6.
First up, however, is an afternoon Game 5 on Friday at Globe Life Field, with first pitch slated to arrive at 4:07 p.m.
That game will be a rematch of Game 1's pitcher's duel matchup, with the Astros sending Justin Verlander to the mound, and the Rangers sending Jordan Montgomery out -- and hoping their darnedest for a similar result.
