Rangers reaction after Astros are swept aside in dominant fashion

The Houston Astros gave away t-shirts this weekend promoting the Lone Star Series and the battle for the silver boot.

The shirts read: Come And Take It. Sort of a rallying cry for the Astros and a direct message to the Texas Rangers that the silver boot was up for grabs for the 16th season. For the record, and you know that’s exactly what Rangers Reaction is for, the Rangers are now 86-49 in the Lone Star series, which began in 2001. That includes 6-0 against the Astros in 2016.

Although the rivalry heated up in 2015, with both teams making the postseason, this thing is awfully one-sided. Houston has claimed the boot only four of the 15 previous seasons. With 13 games remaining against the Rangers, it’s going to take a mighty rally for the Astros to make it five. The clubs next play June 6-9 at Globe Life Park.

The Rangers have promotional giveaways planned for that series but no Come And Take It shirts. I guess if you actually have it, you don’t flaunt it.

Here are three thoughts after the Rangers 9-2 series-sweeping win against the Astros:

1. Yu Kidding Me? — The Rangers starters have been the pride of the club so far in 2016 so adding Yu Darvish less than two months in is like adding Walter Johnson to the 1986 Mets’ rotation. It almost doesn’t seem fair. Cole Hamels, who pitched an eight-inning gem with 11 strikeouts Sunday, is excited about the prospect of pitching alongside Darvish, who is expected to start his first game with the Rangers Saturday against the Pirates.

“I think Darvish is going to come in and we’re going to have fun. He’s a tremendous asset to this team,” Hamels said. “Knowing what he has done and the type of competitor he is, he’s going to come out there and try to put up zeroes as much as anybody. It’s nice, we’ve had outstanding pitching from everybody on the starting staff and that’s what you want to have. You want to have too much pitching.”

2. Stellar starters — Speaking of the Rangers’ rotation, Colby Lewis, Cesar Ramos and Hamels each had quality starts in Houston to make it 30 in 44 games in 2016. The Rangers’ starters have a combined 3.38 ERA, which is tops in the American League and third-best in the majors. With Darvish returning, the rotation will be Hamels, Darvish, Lewis, Perez and Holland, with Ramos picking up a spot start, if necessary. The return of A.J. Griffin, who has been on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder, will complicate things (in a good way). But he has yet to throw off a mound so a rehab assignment will be necessary before he’s ready, which means it’ll easily be another couple weeks to a month before he’s an option. If you’re Jeff Banister, these are good issues to have.

3. Stubbs’ toe — It may turn out to be nothing, as Drew Stubbs suggested after Sunday’s game. But if his sprained left pinky toe turns out to be something more substantial, the Rangers will be forced to make another move. Coupled with Shin-Soo Choo’s tight left hamstring and Rougned Odor’s pending suspension, the timing is not exactly ideal for the Rangers’ bench. Stubbs will have an x-ray (he tried Sunday at Minute Maid Park but the machine was busted) to determine the severity. Stubbs sprained it rounding second base in the ninth inning on Ian Desmond’s single. He downplayed the injury but admitted it’s quite painful when he puts weight on it.

This story was originally published May 22, 2016 at 9:38 PM with the headline "Rangers reaction after Astros are swept aside in dominant fashion."