Lone Star Series: A Look Back at This AL West Rivalry

When Do the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers Play Next?

Houston Astros tickets and Texas Rangers tickets can be found on their respective team pages, along with schedule information.

Are the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers Rivals?

Yes, the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers both play in the American League West and have a division rivalry in Major League Baseball. As the two major league franchises in Texas, the series is referred to as the Lone Star Series and the Silver Boot Series.

Lone Star Series History

In 1972, the Washington Senators franchise relocated and rebranded to the Texas Rangers. The Houston Astros, being the only franchise in Texas for the 10 years prior, already had the pride and TV rights of Texas, thus a competitive rivalry was born. Tensions flared between the two teams in the 1990s when Nolan Ryan returned to the Astrodome as a member of the Texas Rangers before what was at the time a record-setting crowd. Both the Astros and the Rangers have retired Ryan’s number due to his successful career with both franchises.

The Astros transitioned from the National League to the American League, joining the AL West with the Rangers in 2013.  They kicked off the season with a series against one another that year, with Houston winning convincingly on Opening Day. However, in game two of the season, Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish threw 8 2/3 innings without a walk or hit before having his perfect game ruined with one out left.

There was also a benches-clearing brawl between the two teams in 2015 with both teams vying for playoff spots in their respective leagues when Astros Manager A.J. Hinch shoved Rangers first baseman and designated hitter Prince Fielder. Things escalated when Rangers manager Jeff Banister confronted Hinch.

Both teams have had successful runs in the AL West in recent memory. Between 2010 and 2022, both teams have won the division a combined 9 times, with the Astros taking a 5-4 edge over the  Rangers.

When Did the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers First Play?

In the first years of the Rangers franchise, they only played the Houston Astros in exhibitions during spring training. They met for the first time in 1992 at the conclusion of Spring Training with the Rangers winning 2-0 and claiming the first Silver Boot Trophy.

The two teams met for the first time in the regular season in 2001 as a part of interleague play initiative to spark new rivalries in the game, thus the Lone Star Series was born. The Astros won the inaugural meeting 5-4 at The Ballpark in Arlington. Between the 2020 and 2022 seasons, the Astros lead the series head-to-head 33–15.

What is The Silver Boot Trophy?

The Silver Boot Trophy is a 30-inch, size 15 cowboy boot cast in silver that’s awarded to the winner of the Lone Star Series rivalry between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.

Recent Results Between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers

For fans of the Lone Star State’s baseball scene, the rivalry between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers is always one to watch. To help you assess how these two teams have fared against each other, we’ve put together a table of their recent head-to-head matchups:

Where Do the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers Play?

The Houston Astros play at Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston. The park opened in 2000 and is known for its unique center field hill and retractable roof. The Texas Rangers play at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, outside of Dallas. Globe Life Field opened in 2020 and is a state-of-the-art, indoor facility with turf grass.

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