Now Or Never! Why Texas Rangers Series Against Houston Astros Is Most Important Of 2024

The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros are tied 5-5 this season with three games remaining starting Monday at Globe Life Field.

Apr 12, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia (53) greets Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) before the game at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers are hanging by a thread.

The defending World Series champions trail the Seattle Mariners by 5.5 games in the American League West. Also ahead of the Rangers are the second-place Houston Astros, who are a game back of the Mariners.

The Rangers, who have lost seven of their past nine games, host the Astros for their team's final series beginning Monday night at Globe Life Field.

The teams enter the series tied 5-5 in 2024, so the winner of this three-game series will hold the tiebreaker edge at the end of the season.

Tiebreakers came into play, of course, a year ago when Houston and Texas finished with 90 wins but the Astros claimed the AL West title because they won the season series against the Rangers. The Rangers earned an AL Wild Card spot and, as we all remember, beat the Astros in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series en route to their first World Series title.

This is the last chance for the Rangers to have a direct effect on the Astros. The Rangers have seven games remaining against the Mariners, who have a 5-1 edge so far this season. Texas has a four-game set in Seattle on Sept. 12-15 and hosts a three-game set on Sept. 20-22 at Globe Life Field.

With a sweep over Houston, Texas could inject some legitimate life into their hopes of returning to the postseason. A sweep would pull the Rangers to within 1.5 games of the Astros.

An Astros sweep would be near disastrous for the Rangers, who would be pushed 7.5 games back.

You can follow Stefan Stevenson on X @StefanVersusTex.

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