Silver Boot Rivalry Reaches Next Level in ALCS Showdown Between Texas Rangers, Houston Astros

Lone Star State rivals Texas Ranger and Houston Astros meet for a winner-take-all showdown on the American League's biggest stage.

Everything is bigger in Texas. 

From gas stations that would be considered mini-marts elsewhere to dance halls that stretch street lengths to highways that seem to have no end, everything in the Lone Star State reaches massive proportions.

Including what's at stake in the Silver Boot Showdown. Is that an okay way to reclassify the annual matchup between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros? 

Everything's bigger, meaning the name of one of baseball's better rivalries has to have more pop to it, right? 

Like the pop coming off a swing from Corey Seager? 

Or the power of a ball launched from the bat of Yordan Alvarez? 

Or the velocity leaving from a fastball right down the pipe from Justin Verlander or Nathan Eovaldi? 

Expect all that and more starting Sunday night from Minute Maid Park. And if fans are greeted with what could be the best matchup of October baseball, expect it to carry through seven games leading into Halloween. 

The Texas Rangers are back in the ALCS for the first time since 2011 / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Silver Boot Series always carries weight thanks to the disdain from the cities. Houstonians can't stand the charisma and charm of those who live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and the feeling is mutual for different reasons right down Interstate 45. 

But the Rangers and Astros proved throughout the regular season their consistency would carry weight. Now, seven games stand in their way from potentially reaching baseball immortality. 

Consider the pathway to this year's postseason a 180 flip from the previous regimes. The last time Texas clinched a spot in the playoffs, the Astros were just putting the finishing touches on an empire that's prolonged seven seasons in the American League. 

Houston's dominance knows no bounds. Every year, Astros fans who spend summer evenings at the ballpark consider the postseason to "begin" once the American League Championship Series begins. 

It's not unwarranted, either. The Astros are winners of four AL Pennants since 2017 and two World Series — albeit one tarnished — to show for it. 

But Texas looks to be the new big hitters of the American League, headlined by exceptional free-agent signings and the development of young talent. There's a foundation laid out to create a similar feel in Arlington that's resided in Houston for nearly a decade. 

How fitting for baseball fans to catch a glimpse of the status of their sport reaching new heights? A team that looks unbeatable taking on the biggest risers in the industry? 

What's not to like? 

After sweeping Tampa Bay on the road in the Wild Card round, the Rangers dismantled Baltimore to improve their postseason record to 5-0. Pitching prevailed, bats stayed hot and the crowd was rocking at Globe Life Field for the first time since ground broke on the building in 2017. (And there's Creed.)

No one in the clubhouse cares anymore about how the season finished. Losing three of four to the Seattle Mariners forced Texas to take the road further traveled for a shot at the pennant, but it also strengthened the roster to where now this team looks unstoppable. 

Would a division title for the first since 2016 have been excellent? Sure. 

Did it stop the Rangers from outscoring two of the best teams in baseball 32-12 to force a winner-take-all showdown against their in-state rival? 

Call that a swing-and-miss for those who doubted Texas' talent. 

Houston's success has haunted the American League for years. Money can buy players, but can it buy wins? Most of the talent is homegrown, and those who joined the roster over the previous seven years might as well retire in "The Loop" since their legacies are embedded with the franchise's domination. 

But the Astros have shown vulnerability this season. They played catch-up with Texas and needed a series sweep on the final day of the regular season to secure another division title. And after Minnesota jumped on Framber Valdez in Game 2, it coasted to its first ALDS win since 2004. 

Baseball wins Sunday when the Astros take the field, and Marcus Semien steps into the batter's box for the first time to the cascading sounds of boos. Rivalries add bonus fuel to the scorching flames, and few match the hatred between these two clubs. 

Both rosters should be at full strength, too. Texas is hopeful that Max Scherzer and Jon Gray will return to make their postseason debuts. For Houston, a healthy Michael Brantley and surging Jose Abreu add more power to this potent lineup. 

And if the common fan isn't intrigued yet, look at the managerial matchup. Three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy fast-forwarded the Rangers' long-term clock in a season. Meanwhile, Dusty Baker kept Houston full-speed ahead after the cheating scandal became public. 

Both men have earned their spot in Cooperstown, but who earns another trip to the Fall Classic? 

The Astros are baseball's standard these days. The Rangers are the new kids on the block, ready to stand alone as the subsequent kings of the AL.

Houston is back in a familiar situation. Texas is looking for this postseason to be the start of something promising. 

It was always meant to end this way — a clash of talented clubs with hatred instilled in their blood before knowing the positions on the field. 

Because everything is bigger in Texas, including four wins for a chance to bring the Commissioner's Trophy home.

ALCS Schedule for Rangers, Astros

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