Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) prepares to pitch in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros during Game 2 of the ALCS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Minute Maid Park. Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Rangers join rare company with Game 2 ALCS win over Astros

The Rangers continued their hot start to the postseason in Game 2 of the ALCS, winning 5-4 over the in-state rival Astros.

With the win, Texas is 7-0 in the postseason, becoming just the sixth team in MLB history to begin the postseason with seven consecutive wins or more.

Four of the past five previous teams reached the World Series and two won the title. 

The Astros became the fifth team in league history to achieve the feat only a season ago en route to the franchise's second World Series title.

Houston swept the Mariners and Yankees before dropping Game 1 of the World Series to Philadelphia, eventually winning the series in six games.

Before them, the Atlanta Braves began the 2020 postseason 7-0, sweeping a best-of-three wild-card series, the NLDS, and winning the first two games of the NLCS over the Dodgers. However, Los Angeles won four of the next five games in the series and would go on to win its first World Series since 1988.

The 2014 Royals hold the longest win streak to begin a postseason, winning their first eight games before losing in the World Series to the Giants, 4-3.

The Rockies became the second team to win their first seven games in the postseason in 2007 against the Phillies and Diamondbacks before being swept in the World Series by the Red Sox.

The 1976 Reds were the first team to achieve the feat when MLB only had two postseason rounds, a best-of-five LCS and a best-of-seven World Series.

That Reds team is the only team to finish undefeated in the playoffs since the league expanded the postseason in 1969.

As good as the Rangers must feel, this series is far from over. Houston won the regular season series 9-4 and was among the best road teams this year, finishing 51-30 away from Minute Maid Park.

A seven-game win streak to begin the postseason is nice, but winning the next six would be nicer.

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