Two Teams, One State: Texas Rangers, Houston Astros Make MLB Postseason History
How rare is it for two teams from the same state to meet in the MLB playoffs?
Well, once the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros clash in the American League Championship Series, it’ll be just the 10th time in the divisional era (since 1969). The best-of-seven series opens Sunday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston with a pitching duel between Justin Verlander and Jordan Montgomery.
The first six instances of instate matchups have occurred in the World Series, including the Bay Bridge Series in 1989 (Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants) and Subway Series in 2000 (New York Yankees vs. New York Mets).
The next three times it happened came in the divisional round, with the Los Angeles Dodgers downing the San Diego Padres last year being the most recent.
What makes this Rangers-Astros showdown unique – besides being the first time the Silver Boot rivals hook up in the postseason – it’s coming in a league championship series. Never before have two clubs sharing a state’s borders met with a trip to the World Series on the line.
Postseason Series from same state in divisional era (sine 1969)
1974 WS: LAD def. OAK, 4-1
1985 WS: KC def. STL, 4-3
1988 WS: LAD def. OAK, 4-1
1989 WS: OAK def. SF, 4-0
2000 WS: NYY def. NYM, 4-1
2002 WS: LAA def. SF, 4-3
2020 NLDS: LAD def. SD*, 3-0
2021 NLDS: LAD def. SF, 3-2
2022 NLDS: LAD def. SD, 3-1
2023 ALCS: TEX vs. HOU
*-games played at Globe Life Field
Facing the Astros also means several other notables for the Rangers, including the first postseason series against an AL West opponent. Texas had also played 14 consecutive playoff games against AL East foes (Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays) dating back to Game 7 of the 2011 World Series at the St Louis Cardinals.
The Rangers went 4-9 against Houston in the 2023 regular season, going 3-3 at Minute Maid Park and 1-6 at Globe Life Field. Texas lost three straight and seven of final eight to end the season series.
The Rangers’ current five-game winning streak is the franchise’s longest to open a postseason. The only other time Texas won five playoff games in a row came in 2011 on the way to the World Series.
The Rangers are one of just three teams in MLB history to win four straight road games to open a postseason, joining the 2020 Astros and 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks.
Texas had never swept a series in eight previous trips to the postseason, and has now done it twice by dispatching of Tampa Bay (2-0) and the Orioles (3-0).
You can follow Art Garcia on Twitter @ArtGarcia92.
Catch up with Inside the Rangers on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
