Rangers vs Astros May 19 Predictions, Preview, Stream, Odds & Picks

Rangers on Four-Game Winning Streak

The Texas Rangers try to continue their climb to the .500 mark when they take on the host Houston Astros in the first of a key four-game weekend series between American League West rivals. Texas has won four in a row, including a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, to move into third place in the division. Houston dropped two of three to the Boston Red Sox, including a 5-1 setback on Wednesday, but is still a game ahead of the Angels for the AL West’s top spot. Both teams have been playing well of late, so this should be a very good series.

Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Rangers vs Astros. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.

Rangers Gaining Confidence

The Texas Rangers are feeling very good about themselves right now, and with good reason after a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels. It took a 10th-inning home run by Nathaniel Lowe to give them the final victory, but every win gets the Rangers feeling more like a potential title contender.

“That’s huge for morale and confidence. And that’s all you want in baseball, is to go out and play with confidence,” Rangers catcher Jonah Heim said after Wednesday’s extra-inning win. “And if we know we can sweep the team that’s in first place, we can do a lot more damage in the division.”

Texas will have right-hander Glenn Otto getting the start in the opener. Otto is 1-1 with a 6.38 ERA in four start, striking out 16 in 18.1 innings. He is coming off a bad outing on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox, as he allowed eight run on eight hits, including two home runs, while striking out four and walking four in four innings.

Shortstop Corey Seager was 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored in Wednesday’s win. Seager has a team-high eight home runs for the Rangers, batting .244 with two doubles, 18 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

Outfielder Adolis Garcia leads Texas with 24 RBIs, but he’s batting just .209. Garcia was 0-for-5 in Wednesday’s win, striking out twice to bring his season’s total to 44, which ranks fifth in the American League.

Astros Return Home

The Houston Astros have dropped three of their last five after an 11-game winning streak, but they’re hoping that they can get back to streaking with a return to Minute Maid Park. Houston has played just 13 of its 38 games at home, going 9-4 in those contests.

Left-hander Framber Valdez will be on the mound for the Astros in the series opener. Valdez is 2-2 with a 2.93 ERA, having struck out 32 in 40 innings. Valdez shut down the Texas Rangers when he faced them on the road on April 25, going six innings and allowing only an unearned run on four hits while striking out five and walking two.

Outfielder Yordan Alvarez is second in baseball with 12 home runs after hitting one in Tuesday’s win over the Boston Red Sox. Alvarez is batting .252 with three doubles, 22 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

Outfielder Kyle Tucker had two home runs in Tuesday’s rout of Boston, upping his total to seven. He leads the team with 25 RBIs while also hitting .246 with seven doubles and 14 runs scored.

Rangers vs Astros Head-to-Head

The Houston Astros have dominated play against the Texas Rangers since the start of the 2021 season, going 17-6 heading into this series. Houston won three of four against Texas on the road earlier this season after going 14-5 against the Rangers in 2021.

Texas was swept on the road a season ago, dropping all nine matchups at Minute Maid Park for the second time in three years. The MLB lines favor that trend continuing, with the host Astros heavily favored to take the series opener.

Rangers vs Astros Game Information

Game: Rangers (17-19) vs Astros (24-14)
Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston
Day/Time: Thursday, 8:10 p.m. ET
Rangers vs Atros Live Stream: MLB.tv