Last night was game one of a four-game series between the division-leading Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.
The showdown had all the makings of a bonafide rivalry: the teams are from the same state, the playoffs are on the line and last night’s pitchers were both acquired mid-season to give the teams the extra “oomph” needed to bring home the pennant.
The interesting thing about this series is that just a couple of years ago, these two teams had never really played a game that carried much significance. That’s because they used to be in different divisions. But a shake-up in Major League Baseball now has these two Texas franchises vying for one spot in the playoffs.
Gerard Farek talks about last night’s game, as well as the newfound rivalry between the two. He’s the senior writer at OutsidePitchMLB.com.
Farek says the teams used to play each other only a few times a year and now that they’re in the same league, they play each other often, with the playoffs at stake.
“This is where the rivalry is building,” he says. “For the first time in a very long time, both teams are good this year, which makes it even more fun.”
Hear the rest of the interview in the audio player above.