ALCS Game 7 Pregame – Houston Astros Dusty Baker, Framber Valdez, Chas McCormick talk about Rangers

Dusty Baker, Framber Valdez, Chas McCormick talk ahead of facing Texas Rangers in Game 7 of the ALCS

GAME 7
Tonight at Minute Maid Park, the Houston Astros host the
Texas Rangers in Game 7 of the 2023 American League
Championship Series…The series is tied 3-3…Texas has
won Games 1, 2 and 6 in Houston and the Astros won
Games 3, 4 and 5 in Arlington.
• Tonight is the 20th LCS all-time to go the full seven
games since the series shifted to the best-of-seven
format in 1985 and the ninth ALCS to have a seventh
game (first since 2020 between the Astros and Rays).
• With a win tonight, the Astros would clinch an
American League Championship for a third consecutive
season and would play in the World Series for a sixth
time in franchise history and the fifth time in the last
seven years…They would be the first team with three
straight World Series appearances since the Yankees
had four in a row from 1998-2001.
• Texas is looking to advance to the World Series for the
third time in franchise history…The Rangers previous
appearances came in 2010 and 2011.
GAME 7 HISTORIES
• The Astros are playing their sixth Game 7 in franchise
history tonight and are 2-3 all-time, including a 1-2
mark in the LCS (1-1 in the ALCS).
• Dusty Baker is 0-3 in Game 7’s as a manager (2002
World Series at Angels, 2003 NLCS vs. Marlins & 2020
ALCS at Rays)…Tied with Casey Stengel for the most
Game 7 losses all-time.
• Texas is playing a Game 7 for the second time in
franchise history, and first in an LCS (only previous
Game 7 came in the 2011 World Series).
• Bruce Bochy is 2-0 in Game 7’s as a manager (2012
NLCS vs. Cardinals & 2014 World Series at Royals).
Full Game 7 game-by-game results are below:
ASTROS RANGERS
Series OPP Result Series OPP Result
2004 NLCS @STL L (2-5) 2011 WS @STL L (2-6)
2017 ALCS NYY W (4-0)
2017 WS @LAD W (5-1)
2019 WS WSH L (2-6)
2020 ALCS @TB* L (2-4)
*at Petco Park (San Diego)
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE THE ROAD
The road team has won all six games to begin the 2023
American League Championship Series…This is the
second best-of-seven series all-time to have the road
team win each of the first six games and the first in a
League Championship Series…The only other series to
have the road team win the first six games was the 2019
World Series (Nationals/Astros) when all seven games
were won by the road teams…Game 7 in that 2019 World
Series was started by Max Scherzer for Washington.
LOOKING TO CLINCH
The Astros are 18-22 in potential series clinching
games in the Postseason…They had six straight potential
clinching games until last night’s loss…Houston is 5-8 alltime in potential clinch games in the LCS (4-3 in the ALCS).
• The six game win streak in potential Postseason series
clinching games that ended last night ties for the thirdlongest all-time…The only longer streaks are a ninegamer by the A’s (1973-90) and an eight game active
streak by the Red Sox, dating to the 2013 ALDS.
• Jose Altuve has homered seven times in potential
clinching games of a Postseason series, which is tied
with Reggie Jackson and Nelson Cruz for second-most
all-time, behind Bernie Williams (8).
• Houston is 8-4 in potential clinch games since Dusty
Baker took over as manager in 2020.
The Rangers are 6-10 in potential series clinching games
in the Postseason (2-0 this year).
• Texas is 2-2 all-time in potential clinching games in the
ALCS…In both 2010 and 2011, they lost Game 5 before
winning Game 6 to advance to the World Series.
FACING ELIMINATION
• Houston has a 10-14 all-time record when facing
elimination in a Postseason game, including a 4-2
record under Dusty Baker…Today is the Astros first
potential elimination game since losing Game 6 of the
2021 World Series vs. Atlanta.
• The Rangers are 2-8 all-time when facing elimination
in a Postseason game…Last night’s win snapped a five
game losing streak in such contests…The only other win
in Texas history in a potential elimination game came in
the deciding Game 5 of the 2010 ALDS at Tampa Bay.

ON THE MOUND
Tonight’s starting pitching matchup features a rematch
of Game 3 with Houston’s Cristian Javier taking on Max
Scherzer for Texas

The Astros return to Minute Maid Park for game seven of the American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers on Monday evening at 7:03 p.m. CT.

All games in the ALCS will be televised nationally on FOX/FS1 with Joe Davis, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci calling the action. On local radio, the games will be aired on SportsTalk 790 with Robert Ford and Steve Sparks calling the action, with Matt Boltz as the engineer. Francisco Romero and Alex Treviño will be on the call for Astros Spanish radio on TUDN 93.3.

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