Astros vs. Rangers ALCS Game 1 Starting Pitcher Matchup - October 15

Updated Oct. 15, 2023 5:47 p.m. ET

Data Skrive

The Houston Astros host the Texas Rangers to begin the ALCS on Sunday at 8:15 PM ET at Minute Maid Park.

The probable pitchers are Justin Verlander (13-8, 3.22 ERA) for the Astros against Jordan Montgomery (10-11, 3.20 ERA) for the Rangers.

Astros Probable Starter: Justin Verlander

Verlander (13-8 with a 3.22 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 162 1/3 innings pitched) gets the start for the Astros, his 28th of the season.
The righty's last time out was on Saturday, Oct. 7 against the Minnesota Twins, when he tossed six scoreless innings while allowing four hits.
The 40-year-old has amassed a 3.22 ERA and 8 strikeouts per nine innings in 27 games this season, while giving up a batting average of .226 to opposing hitters.
Verlander is trying to secure his 15th quality start of the season.
Verlander will aim to go five or more innings for his 22nd straight appearance. He's averaging six innings per outing.
He is trying to keep a streak of two games without allowing an earned run intact.
The opposing Rangers offense has a collective .263 batting average, and is second in the league with 1470 total hits and third in MLB action with 881 runs scored. It has the third-ranked slugging percentage (.452) and ranks third in home runs (233) in all of MLB.
Verlander has pitched seven innings, giving up one earned run on four hits while striking out six against the Rangers this season.
The 40-year-old's 3.22 ERA ranks ninth, 1.133 WHIP ranks 14th, and 8 K/9 ranks 34th among qualifying pitchers this season.

Opponent	Date	IP	H	R	ER	K	BB
vs. Twins	Oct. 7	6.0	4	0	0	6	3
at Diamondbacks	Sep. 30	5.0	2	0	0	5	3
at Mariners	Sep. 25	8.0	3	1	1	8	1
vs. Orioles	Sep. 18	6.0	8	3	3	5	1
vs. Athletics	Sep. 12	7.0	8	5	5	7	0

The Rangers will hand the ball to Montgomery (10-11) for his 33rd start of the season.
The left-hander's last appearance was on Sunday, Oct. 8, when he threw four innings against the Baltimore Orioles, giving up four earned runs while allowing nine hits.
The 30-year-old has pitched in 32 games this season with an ERA of 3.20 and 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings, with an opponent batting average of .247.
In 32 starts this season, he's earned 20 quality starts.
In 32 starts, Montgomery has pitched through or past the fifth inning 28 times. He has a season average of 5.9 frames per outing.
He has made 32 appearances and finished seven of them without allowing an earned run.
The Astros rank fourth in MLB with a .259 batting average this season. They have a team slugging percentage that ranks sixth in the league (.437) and 222 home runs.
The Astros have gone 6-for-25 with a double, a home run and an RBI in one game against the left-hander this season.
Among qualified pitchers in the majors this campaign, the 30-year-old ranks eighth in ERA (3.20), 23rd in WHIP (1.193), and 36th in K/9 (7.9).