ARLINGTON, Texas — The annual classic is back as the Silver Boot Series starts in Houston this year when the Texas Rangers take on the Houston Astros beginning Friday evening. Dating back to 2001, when Houston was a National League Team, the series was bestowed a fun way to describe the interstate rivalry.
Texas does lead the series overall, 130-123. This year will be one to watch, as Houston, who has been a powerhouse in the American League West for eight years and who just won the World Series, now faces a completely revamped Rangers team.
Where Houston’s coming from
For a third straight year, Houston is 6-7 after 13 games. They currently sit third in the AL West behind The Angels and Rangers. Houston’s opponents to date have not exactly been world beaters, as they opened the season against the Chicago White Sox and split that four-game series, lost two of three to the Detroit Tigers, lost two of three to the Minnesota Twins and most recently won two of three against the Pittsburgh Pirates in interleague play.
The Astros are currently missing franchise player Jose Altuve and one-time Rangers’ offseason target Michael Brantley; Altuve suffered a broken thumb during the World Baseball Classic and is out until at least June, while Brantley is still recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent in the offseason.
Their replacements in the lineup have adequately slotted in – Mauricio Dubon, filling in at second for Altuve is slashing .361/.395/.444 with just one strikeout over nine games. Meanwhile, Chas McCormick has played in ten games and is slashing .275/.370/.500 with two homers and nine RBI, taking Brantley’s spot.
The Astros lost Justin Verlander to the New York Mets in the offseason, so the impact to Houston’s depth is certainly felt. Lance McCullers, Jr. is also absent from the Astros’ rotation, rehabbing from a forearm strain, something to be concerned about, as the righty already had Tommy John surgery in 2019.
Currently, the Astros’ rotation is led by Framber Valdez, whom Texas will see in the finale on Sunday. The opener will feature Luis Garcia, who has a fantastic track record against the Rangers.
Over five career outings against Texas, Garcia, the righty who used to sport a unique (and now illegal) “rock the baby” delivery, has a 3-0 record with a 2.50 ERA. In the second game of the series, Texas will face Houston’s top pitching prospect, Hunter Brown. Brown is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in his first two outings so far.
Things to watch for
Game 13, 7:10 PM CT: Martin Perez (1-1, 2.53 ERA) vs. Luis Garcia (0-1, 7.00 ERA)
Game 14, 6:10 PM CT: Jon Gray (1-1, 3.00 ERA) vs. Hunter Brown (1-0, 3.09 ERA)
Game 15, 6:10 PM CT: Andrew Heaney (1-1, 8.22 ERA) vs. Framber Valdez (1-1, 1.89 ERA)
In the opener, Garcia takes on Texas, but will no longer be able to use his signature wind-up. With new rules regarding starting points for a pitcher’s windup, Garcia has had to tone down the motion before he throws. It is something that has perhaps been bugging him in his first two games, as he has amassed a 7.00 ERA after facing the White Sox and Twins, giving up thirteen hits in that time span.
Even without Corey Seager in the lineup, the Rangers lineup needs to take advantage of a pitcher who is still struggling to adjust to a delivery that was second nature to him before this year.
Left Field in Houston is notorious for the Crawford Boxes that feature a tall wall that sits shorter than average to home plate. Texas, whose outfield defense has proven itself to be a little spotty, might actually have an advantage in this series. At the very least, they have something going for them as Houston native Robbie Grossman, who has been the author of much of the defensive consternation, spent the first three years of his career patrolling left field for Houston.
The Rangers are crossing their fingers that Grossman will end up feeling right at home at his old stomping grounds. On the whole, though, Texas’ defense needs to tighten up, with several miscues leading to runs in the series finale against the Royals on Wednesday night.
The hope also is that the Wednesday night, four-hit performance by the offense was an anomaly. The problem is, Texas goes into Houston against three very good pitchers. Nathaniel Lowe has been Mr. Consistency in the middle of the lineup and is currently riding an eight-game hitting streak and a three-game RBI streak. Marcus Semien, on the other hand, isn’t having quite the hot start to the season that is needed of him, only slashing .212/.222/.327 in the first 12 games of the season. Grossman, meanwhile, on top of his defensive issues, is also riding an 0-for-18 slump.
In transaction news, the Rangers sent down reliever Taylor Hearn after two very disappointing performances back-to-back. Hearn came on in relief in the seventh inning against the Cubs last Saturday and gave up four runs on five hits; he then followed that up with a relief performance in the finale against the Royals on Wednesday, giving up another four runs on four hits.
Finally, Texas will look for Martin Perez to get better control of his pitches in Friday’s opener to set the tone for the series. Pitching in and out of trouble has been the theme for the lefty in his first two outings. The Rangers would like to see him go deeper than six innings, or at the very least, complete those innings in a more efficient manner.
In 2022, on his way to an All-Star Game appearance, Perez offered a competitive 3.82 ERA in five starts against Houston while giving up a meager slash line of .256/.305/.322 to Astros hitters. Perez’s lone complete game shutout for the season also came against Houston, in a 3-0 victory back on May 20, 2022.
Do you think the Rangers will get off to an early lead in the Silver Boot Series? Share your predictions with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
