MLB
2023 MLB playoffs: ALCS American League Championship Series matchups and schedule
First time in MLB history, we’ll see an all-Texan American League Championship Series between the Astros and the Rangers - known as the Lone Star Series.
The 2023 MLB playoff bracket has entered its final stage, with only four remaining teams. In the latest games, the Diamondbacks and Astros emerged victorious in their respective series against the Dodgers and Twins. This sets up an exciting all-Texas American League Championship Series, beginning on Sunday night at Minute Maid Park. The Astros, who have home-field advantage, will host the Rangers, who advanced to the ALCS after defeating the Orioles in their previous matchup. Fans can expect a thrilling series between two of the league’s top teams as they compete for a berth in the World Series.
Only four of the 12 teams participating in this year’s MLB postseason have made it to the next round. Only two Wild Card teams in the National League, namely the Phillies (No. 4 seed) and the Diamondbacks (No. 6 seed), are left to compete. In the American League, the Astros (No. 2 seed) clinched the AL West title against the Rangers (No. 5 seed) on the final day of the regular season. However, both the Astros and Rangers made it to the ALCS.
The Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros both qualified for the postseason in the American League. The Rangers finished the regular season with a 90-72 record and secured a place in the playoffs as the fifth-seed wild card entrant. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles to reach the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2011.
The Houston Astros clinched the American League West division title for the third consecutive season and secured the second seed and a bye from the Wild Card Series. They defeated the Minnesota Twins in four games for their seventh successive appearance in the ALCS, an American League record.
This is the first postseason meeting between the Astros and the Rangers, known as the Lone Star Series. This is also the first American League Championship Series to feature teams from the same state and the first ALCS without a team from the AL East since 2011. This is the first LCS matchup between teams from the same division since 2011.
ALCS American League Championship Series matchups and schedule
| Game | Date | Vs | Location | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 15 | Texas Rangers at Houston Astros | Minute Maid Park | 8:15 p.m. |
| 2 | October 16 | Texas Rangers at Houston Astros | Minute Maid Park | 4:37 p.m. |
| 3 | October 18 | Houston Astros at Texas Rangers | Globe Life Field | 8:03 p.m. |
| 4 | October 19 | Houston Astros at Texas Rangers | Globe Life Field | 8:03 p.m. |
| 5 | October 20 | Houston Astros at Texas Rangers | Globe Life Field | 5:07 p.m. |
| 6 | October 22 | Texas Rangers at Houston Astros | Minute Maid Park | 8:03 p.m. |
| 7 | October 23 | Texas Rangers at Houston Astros | Minute Maid Park | 8:03 p.m. |