Texas Rangers Advance to ALCS, Lone Star Showdown Coming?

The Texas Rangers swept the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, setting up a potential postseason Silver Boot Series with the Houston Astros.

The Texas Rangers await the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series — if the Astros can get past the Minnesota Twins in their best-of-five American League Division Series. 

The Astros face the Twins in Game 4 on Wednesday and have a 2-1 series lead. If the Astros win, they clinch the series and will face the Rangers in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday in Houston.

If the Astros lose to the Twins on Wednesday, they get another chance to clinch the series in a decisive Game 5 on Friday in Houston. 

The Rangers defeated the Orioles, 7-1, on the stretch of another powerful offensive performance and improved to 5-0 in this postseason. The Rangers got a solo home run from Corey Seager, a three-run home run from Adolis Garcia and a solo home run from Nathaniel Lowe. 

The Rangers led the AL West for most of the season and lost the lead in early September after the Astros swept them in a series in Arlington. The Rangers briefly took the lead back during their final homestand. 

But, during a seven-game road trip to end the regular season, the Astros drew into a tie for the AL West lead with the Rangers on the final day and, due to a tiebreaker, claimed the No. 2 seed in the AL playoffs. 

That is what will allow the Astros to host the Rangers in Games 1 and 2 in the ALCS, should the Astros advance. 

The two teams have never met in the playoffs. The Astros were in the National League before they moved to the American League in 2013.