Schedule and 2023 Results
Regular Season Records: Houston 90-72, Texas 90-72
Game 1 on Sunday, 15 October: Texas wins at Houston, 2-runs-nil
Game 2 on Monday, 16 October: Texas wins at Houston, 5-runs-4
Game 3 on Wednesday, 18 October: Houston wins at Texas, 8-runs-5
Game 4 on Thursday, 19 October: Houston wins at Texas, 10-runs-3
Game 5 on Friday, 20 October: Houston wins at Texas, 5-runs-4
Game 6 on Sunday, 22 October: Texas wins at Houston, 9-runs-2
Game 7 on Monday, 23 October: Texas wins at Houston, 11-runs-4

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: The Texas Rangers visited and defeated the Houston Astros 11-runs-4 to complete a 4-games-3 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1548 victory. With the series 1548 win, the Texas Rangers improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 3-2 overall and 3-0 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1548 loss, the Houston Astros see their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record fall to 7-8 overall and 5-5 in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious Texas Rangers in series 1548 was WWLLLWW: Series 1548 thus becomes the third MLB Semifinals-round series, the seventh MLB series (all rounds), and the 27th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. Series 1548 joins series 1418 (in which the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros in the 2019 MLB Finals) as the only best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series to follow a WWLLLWW @ VVHHHVV win-site order to completion. The Houston Astros have now been involved in all three best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series to follow a WWLLLWW win order to completion (series 937, a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 National League Championship Series; series 1350, a win over the New York Yankees in the 2017 American League Championship Series; series 1548, just completed herein). With their series 1548 victory, the Texas Rangers tie the MLB Kansas City Royals, the NHL Vancouver Canucks, and the old NBA Washington Bullets for the best best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL Semifinals-round series record at a perfect 3-0. The 20 total runs tallied by the Texas Rangers in Games 6-7 of series 1548 are the third-most in best-of-7 MLB playoff series history lasting the full seven games, behind only the 23 Games 6-7 total runs by the Boston Red Sox (series 1020, against the old Cleveland Indians in the 2007 American League Championship Series), and the 21 Games 6-7 total runs by the New York Yankees (series 137, in a losing effort against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1960 MLB Finals).

After Game 6:The Texas Rangers visited and defeated the Houston Astros 9-runs-2 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1548 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Houston Astros have a Game 7 record of 2-3, while the Texas Rangers have a Game 7 record of 0-1. At home, the Houston Astros have a 1-1 Game 7 record, having defeated the New York Yankees in series 1350 (2017 American League Championship Series) Game 7 and having lost to the Washington Nationals in series 1418 (2019 MLB Finals) Game 7 (a series featuring seven road-team victories, which the Texas Rangers would like to emulate in series 1548). On the road, the Texas Rangers have a 0-1 Game 7 record, having lost in St. Louis to the Cardinals in series 1154 (2011 MLB Finals) Game 7. In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series, teams such as the Texas Rangers trailing 3-games-2 but winning Game 6 on the road by 7+ runs had a Game 7 record of 2-4; the two victories were by the St. Louis Cardinals in series 19 over the New York Yankees (in the 1926 MLB Finals), and by the Detroit Tigers in series 201 over the St. Louis Cardinals (in the 1968 MLB Finals).

After Game 5: The Houston Astros visited and topped the Texas Rangers 5-runs-4 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1548 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Houston Astros have a series record of 5-2 and a Game 6 record of 4-3. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Texas Rangers have a series record of 0-0 and a Game 6 record of 0-0. The Houston Astros trailed the host Texas Rangers by two runs after 7.5 innings but emerged victorious: In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff games from 1905 through 2022, inclusive, road teams down two runs as late as after 7.5 innings had a game record of only 6-98 (.058) - the Houston Astros thus achieve a grade-A in-game comeback in series 1548 Game 5. In series 955, the Houston Astros were on the opposite end of such a comeback in Game 5 of the 2005 National League Championship Series, in which the Astros were hosting and leading the St. Louis Cardinals 4-runs-2 entering the top of the ninth inning: As in series 1548 Game 5, the visitors plated three runs to notch a comeback 5-runs-4 victory. Series 1548 has become only the third best-of-7 MLB playoff series to open with a win-site order of LLWWW @ HHVVV by the leading team: The previous two were series 722 (in which the Yankees in New York defeated the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 to win the 1996 MLB Finals) and series 1418 (in which the Washington Nationals defeated the Astros in Houston in Games 6-7 to win the 2019 MLB Finals). Series 2 (the 1906 MLB Finals) featured a WLWLW @ VHVHV win-site order after five games, with the White Sox leading the Cubs in that all-Chicago series: The White Sox would win Game 6 in their ballpark to win the series.

After Game 4: The Houston Astros visited and defeated the Texas Rangers 10-runs-3 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1548 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Houston Astros have a series record of 4-3 and a Game 5 record of 5-2 (with an active four-Game 5 winning streak), while the Texas Rangers have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 5 record of 1-0. The sole previous best-of-7 MLB playoff series in which the Texas Rangers found themselves knotted 2-games-all after four games was series 1154, against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 MLB Finals; St. Louis won the series in seven games. Series 1548 becomes the fifth best-of-7 MLB playoff series to post a LLWW @ HHVV win-site order after the first four games; the last such series was series 1418 (in which the Houston Astros also posted a LLWW @ HHVV win-site order, against the Washington Nationals in the 2019 MLB Finals; Washington would win the series in seven games, in a series in which the road team won all seven games).

After Game 3: The Houston Astros visited and bested the Texas Rangers 8-runs-5 to reduce the Texas Rangers best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1548 lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Texas Rangers have a series record of 2-0 and a Game 4 record of 2-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Houston Astros have a series record of 2-5 and a Game 4 record of 5-2. Series 1548 becomes the 12th best-of-7 MLB playoff series to open with a WWL @ VVH win-site order by the leading team: The Houston Astros were once before on the LLW @ HHV end of such a win-site order, in series 1418 against the Washington Nationals in the 2019 MLB Finals, which the Nationals won in seven games with the road team winning all seven games.

After Game 2: The Texas Rangers visited and defeated the Houston Astros 5-runs-4 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1548 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Texas Rangers have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 3 record of 0-1. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Houston Astros have a series record of 0-4 and a Game 3 record of 2-2. The sole previous best-of-7 MLB playoff series in which the Texas Rangers won Games 1 and 2 was series 1152 against the Detroit Tigers in the 2011 American League Championship Series; Texas went on to lose Game 3, but win the series in six games. Only one best-of-7 MLB playoff series before series 1548 opened with the road team winning Game 1 by two runs and Game 2 by one run: Series 845 (in the 2001 American League Championship Series) did so, with the New York Yankees prevailing over the Mariners in Seattle; the Yankees proceeded to win the 2001 ALCS, in the last best-of-7 MLB playoff series to date played by the Seattle Mariners. Texas plated four runs in the top of the first inning of series 1548 Game 2: The last best-of-7 MLB playoff series in which the road team scored four or more runs in the top of the first inning was series 1516 (the 2022 National League Championship Series) Game 4, in which the San Diego Padres scored four runs in the top of the first inning against the Phillies in Philadelphia; Philadelphia prevailed 10-runs-6. In best-of-7 MLB Semifinals history, the only team to take a WW @ VV lead but lose the series was the Atlanta Braves in the last such series (to the Los Angeles Dodgers in series 1450, the 2020 National League Championship Series).

After Game 1: The Texas Rangers visited and shut out the Houston Astros 2-runs-nil to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1548 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Texas Rangers have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 2 record of 1-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Houston Astros have a series record of 4-5 and a Game 2 record of 5-4. The sole previous best-of-7 MLB playoff series in which the Texas Rangers won Game 1 was series 1152 against the Detroit Tigers in the 2011 American League Championship Series; Texas went on to win Game 2 as well, and win the series in six games. Through 8.5 innings, series 1548 Game 1 mirrored series 8 Game 2 (pitting the old New York Giants against the Red Sox in Boston, in the 1912 MLB Finals) with the only scoring by way of solo runs in both the top of the second inning and the top of the fifth inning; whereas series 1548 Game 1 ended 2-runs-nil for the visitors, series 8 Game 2 saw the host Boston Red Sox salvage a solo run in the bottom of the ninth inning to fall 2-runs-1 to the visiting Giants. In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series, road teams winning Game 1 by two runs had a series record of 10-4 (.714).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2023 MLB regular season, the Houston Astros finished zero games ahead of the Texas Rangers. From 1905 through the 2022 MLB Finals round, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by zero regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 5-1 (.833, for the team with Game 1 at home) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1548 is the 15th best-of-7 MLB playoff series for the Houston Astros, and the fifth for the Texas Rangers. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Houston Astros have an all-rounds series record of 7-7, a Semifinals-round series record of 5-4, and a Game 1 record of 5-9, while the Texas Rangers have an all-rounds series record of 2-2, a Semifinals-round series record of 2-0, and a Game 1 record of 1-3. Series 1548 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers. The sole MLB team to play Game 1 of a best-of-7 playoff series at home against an opponent with the same regular-season record as that opponent (i.e., the Astros in Houston against the Texas Rangers in series 1548) and lose the series was the old Milwaukee Braves, to the New York Yankees in series 123, in the 1958 MLB Finals.