Lone Star Series : Rangers vs Astros

Credit: Houston Chronicle

The Texas Rangers versus the Houston Astros has been a fierce rivalry since the Lone Star Series began, with the first official meeting being on June 8, 2001. The Lone Star Series consists of all the games the two teams play against each other throughout the 162-game regular season. Whoever wins the series gets a 30-inch tall silver cowboy boot called the "Silver Boot." In case of a tie between the two teams, the winner would be decided by the team who scored the most amount of runs against each other in the series. It is important to note that the terms "Silver Boot Series" and "Lone Star Series" can be used interchangeably.

Of the 266 regular season meetings between these two foes, the Rangers boast a win total of 134, compared to the Astros' 132 wins. While the matchup has been relatively even for the past 22 years with the Rangers having a slight lead, the Astros have a current 3 game win streak against their rivals after completing an early September 2023 road sweep in Arlington at Globe Life Park.

From 2001 to 2012, the Astros were in the National League and the Rangers were in the American League. This meant that because of the structure of interleague games at the time, the two teams only played each six times over the course of the season (three home, three away). With the Astros switch to the American League West division in 2013, this meant the two teams would now play each other 19 times, with the winner gaining, or retaining, control over the Silver Boot. For the 2023 season, with the scheduling structure changing once again, the two teams now play each other 13 times.

Why the Rivalry?

While it is likely that someone could like both Astros and Rangers because of their proximity or relations to both cities, most fans in the state choose one or the other. The Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metroplexes have been rivals in sports for many decades, and other comparable metrics between the two cities only contributes more to this rivalry. In terms of a metroplex, Dallas-Fort Worth is the most populous metroplex, but in terms of a city, Houston is more populated. The temperatures also vary between the two cities with Houston experiencing more humidity year-round, and Dallas-Fort Worth having drier winds and experiencing more winterly conditions than Houston. Along with many other differences, residents of the areas surrounding the teams have something to compare and be better at than the other area.

Credit: Clutch Points

The Houston Colt .45s formed in 1962 and later transformed into the Astros in 1964. They had no direct, state rival that was playable in Texas until the Washington Senators moved to the city of Arlington within DFW to become the Texas Rangers in 1972. However, with the structure of the teams being in American League (Rangers) and National League (Astros) their first meeting wouldn't be until 2001, which is still four years after interleague play began (scheduled games played between American and National League teams). Both teams would go on to have Nolan Ryan play for their team throughout his Hall of Fame career as well.

Closer Look at Lone Star Series Since 2010

Evidently, we can see that the Astros have dominated in the present day since 2017, which is also the years of their "dynasty" in winning two World Series and six straight ALCS trips. However, the Rangers stood firm in their control over the series from 2010 to 2016 (besides 2014), when they made the World Series in back-to-back years in 2010 and 2011.

Notably, the widest margin in the series was in 2013 when the Rangers took the series 17-2. The Astros were going on their third 100-loss season, and the Rangers were a few years removed from their postseason runs. The Rangers swept 3-0 during the away series in 2010 and their home series in 2012, on the other hand, Houston swept their home series 9-0 in 2019 and 2021.

In 2020, the teams only played 10 games against each other because of the 60-game shortened season. They split the series 5-5, but the Astros outscored their foes 42-37, therefore retaining control of the Silver Boot.

Future of the Lone Star Series

While the 2023 Lone Star Series has been concluded with the Astros winning 9-4 overall, the two teams could very well meet in the postseason if both make it. As of September 29th, the teams are in a very tight race for the Division Title and the last Wild Card spot with the Seattle Mariners to make it into the postseason. While it's not for certain, the two teams could make it and have a potential series in the postseason, which would be the first time in history that each team would match up against the other in the postseason.

The next confirmed game between the two is on April 5, 2024 when the Astros travel to Globe Life Field to take on the Rangers for their first matchup of the 2024 MLB season. But, time will only tell if we'll see a showdown between the two rivals from Texas for the 2023 postseason...

References:

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Star_Series