The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros are true rivals. The teams don’t like each other. The fans are enemies.

While it doesn’t garner the national attention of the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry in Texas it is big. And we all know everything is bigger in Texas.

They have already met for 7 contests in 2024 and the Astros, despite their dreadful start to the season, leads the series 4 games to 3.

If you paid attention to the American League Championship Series in 2023 you know that the Rangers dominated the Astros at Minute Maid Park.

In 2024 however, the Astros have taken 2 of the first three contests at their home ballpark.

The Houston Astros started the season badly, losing 19 of their first 26 games. Many people were counting them out, but I didn’t believe they were done quite yet. They proved me right by righting the ship and now sit 5 games over.500.

The Rangers come in having won 5 of their last 6 games while the Astros have won 4 of their past 6 games, but did just complete the sweep of the Miami Marlins. The defending World Series Champions come into the weekend series with a 44-49 record while the Astros boast a 49-44 record.

Friday:

The Astros will send Hunter Brown to the mound (6-6, 4.48 ERA) to face off against Andrew Heaney (3-9, 3.80 ERA). In his last start against the Twins Brown gave up 7 earned runs in 6 innings pitched. While that game was not his best, he has an ERA of just 2.30 in his last 7 starts.

Heaney has given up just 4 runs in his last 17.1 innings of work and in his last start against the Rays he gave up no runs in 5.1 innings pitched.

Yordon Alaverz (.444 BA), Jose Altuve (.317 BA) and Alex Bregman (.324 BA) have owned Heaney in their careers. The Rangers batters have not had a lot of at bats against Brown but Seager (.375 BA), Semien (.636 BA) and snubbed All-Star Josh Smith (.500 BA) have hit him well in their interactions with him.

The Rangers cannot seem to get the bats going for Heaney, but if they can they have a good chance of ending the Astros 3 game win streak on Friday night.

Saturday:

On Saturday the Astros will send Spencer Arrighetti (4-7, 5.96 ERA) to the mound to face off against Nathan Eovaldi (6-3, 3.10 ERA). In his last start Arrighetti gave up 2 runs in 5 innings pitched against the Twins.

Eovaldi has been the Rangers ace in 2024 and in his last start he gave up 2 earned runs in 7 innings pitched against the Rays. Eovaldi has a 3.38 ERA in his last 7 starts while Arrighetti has a 5.93 ERA in his last 7.

Both offenses have a chance in this one, but if Nathan Eovaldi is on then the Astros are going to have a tough time scoring runs against him. This should be a low scoring game for both teams.

Sunday:

The Rangers have not named their starter for Sunday’s contest yet, but it should be Jon Gray (4-4, 4.01 ERA) against Ronel Blanco (9.3, 2.53 ERA). Blanco somehow did not get added to the All-Start team with the season he is having, and it may have to do with his 10 game suspension earlier in the season for sticky stuff in his glove.

Blanco has already thrown a no-hitter in 2024 and almost threw back to back no hitters but the Rangers broke the second one up late in that contest. Blanco has been the Astros most consistent starter and he is very difficult to get a hit against. The Rangers will have to be at their best to score against him.

No one on the Rangers roster has had a lot of success against him. If it is Jon Gray going for the Rangers he has been very up and down in the 2024 season, either being completely dominate or getting shelled.

Gray is 2-2 with a 7.62 ERA in his last 7 games. The Rangers may not go with the righty against the Astros, but it would be his turn in the rotation.

If you are a fan of rivalries and teams that don’t like each other, then tune in to this weekend series against the Astros and Rangers. It is a very important series for the Texas Rangers as they do not want to fall any further behind the Astros and Mariners in the division.

Should be a lot of fun.