Behind The Numbers: Rangers Dominance Of Astros Continues
ARLINGTON (105.3 THE FAN) -- The heated in-state battle for the Silver Boot has been anything but over the last several years. In fact, the hallowed trophy – awarded to the team that wins the season series -- has been claimed by the Rangers every season since 2007.
2013 was no exception.
With Wednesday's 5-4 win, the Rangers have now won eight straight and 14 of 16 against their in-state rivals this season.
Exactly how dominant have the Rangers been over their I-45 counterparts? Let's take a look behind the numbers.
- This season, the Rangers have outscored the Astros 109-64 (+45). In all other games, the Rangers are +27 in runs scored.
- Since the start of 2010, Texas is 28-5 against the Astros.
- The Rangers have won 33 of 40 since 2009 -- a .825 winning percentage. That is the highest winning percentage in any MLB head-to-head matchup in that span.
- The Rangers' 14 wins against the Astros are the second most ever by Texas against any opponent in a season. The team won 15 against Seattle in 2011.
- The Rangers last series loss to Houston was from June 24-26, 2008, when the Rangers dropped two of three at Minute Maid. The Rangers' Kevin Millwood took the loss in the series finale.
- The Rangers eight-game streak is the longest in club history against Houston.
- Texas leads the all-time series 56-32.
So why have the Rangers had so much success against the Astros this season?
"We're playing good baseball," said manager Ron Washington with a grin following the team's latest win. "Every time we play them, we're playing good baseball. We have to play good baseball to beat them."
While it's hard to argue with Wash, a more obvious explanation exists for the Rangers dominance -- the 2013 Astros are the worst team in baseball.
At 41-85, Houston is on pace to win just 53 games and the fewest in baseball for the third consecutive season. To put this in context, the last team to win 53 games or fewer was the 2004 Diamondbacks, who finished the season at 51-111.
The Rangers can help the Astros achieve this distinction when they host the Astros for three games during the last week of the season to wrap up the season series.
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