Rangers vs Astros Game 6 of the ALCS: pitchers, lineups, stats, etc.

With the Texans now backed up against a wall, there is no margin for error. To that end, both teams have made a few tweaks to their lineups as they head into what could be the decisive game in the NLCS.

Rangers vs Astros: The lay of the land

There were alarm bells ringing after the reigning MLB champions lost the first two games of the series to the Texans. Yet, the Houston Astros did indeed show their worth as they bounced back to win three in a row. What’s more is that those games were all won at the Rangers’ Globe Life Field, where they’ve maintained a daunting 9-1 record in 2023, a 6-1 regular season run, and a 3-0 tally in the postseason. Of course, Game 5 was won in dramatic fashion, with Jose Altuve driving in a three-run, go-ahead homer in the top of the 9th. Now just one win away from clinching the NLCS, the Astros are on the verge of returning to the World Series for the third consecutive season and fifth in seven.

So, who are the starting pitchers?

Astros set to go with Framber Valdez

Following their Game 5 win it now looks as though Houston will turn to the lefty, Framber Valdez, who will be playing for the first time since appearing in Monday’s game against the Rangers. In what will be his 32nd start of the season, the 29-year-old Dominican comes in with a 12-11 record as a starter and an ERA of 3.45 along with 200 strikeouts in a little more than 198 innings pitched. Of course, Valdez is going to be at his very best on Sunday night as he is set to face a Rangers offense that ranks second in MLB with 1470 total hits and a .263 batting average.

Rangers return to Nathan Eovaldi

Like Valdez above, Nathan Eovaldi last played on Monday and will be making his 26th start of the season when he takes to the field on Sunday night. At 33 years old, the American is an established right-handed pitcher with an ERA of 3.63 and 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Assuming he gets the nod, this will be his fourth consecutive start and in all fairness, he’s been worth it. In 25 appearances this season he’s finished eight without allowing an earned run. If the Rangers are to extend this series, it will depend heavily on Eovaldi’s ability to contain the league’s fifth-ranked offense and one that is has batted .259 for the season with 222 home runs.

What about the starting lineups?

Below you can see the projected lineups for both the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers

Houston Astros

1. Jose Altuve, 2B

2. Michael Brantley, LF

3. Alex Bregman, 3B

4. Yordan Alvarez, DH

5. José Abreu, 1B

6. Kyle Tucker, RF

7. Mauricio Dubon, CF

8. Jeremy Peña, SS

9. Martín Maldonado, C

Texas Rangers

1. Marcus Semien, 2B

2. Corey Seager, SS

3. Robbie Grossman, LF

4. Adolis García, RF

5. Mitch Garver, DH

6. Jonah Heim, C

7. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B

8. Josh Jung, 3B

9. Leody Tavera, CF