A Texas team is headed to the World Series once again.

And once again, that Texas team isn’t Texas.

The Boston Red Sox had a two-games-to-one lead over the Houston Astros heading into Game 4. They scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning of Game 4. 

Then no runs in the next eight innings. One run in nine innings of Game 5. No runs in nine innings of Game 6.

One run in twenty-six innings. Suddenly, the Boston Red Sox turned into the Texas Rangers.

And that is why the Houston Astros are going to the World Series for the third time in five years. And the Boston Red Sox are done for 2021.

What a turn of events for the Red Sox. Their offense scored nine runs off eleven hits in Game 2. Then twelve runs on eleven hits in Game 3.

Since the eighth inning of Game 4, the Astros outscored the Red Sox 22-1. The first three games Boston batted .296. The next three, .115.

Houston is headed to the World Series. The Texas Rangers finished 35.5 games behind them. So that’s a good barometer of how far the Rangers have to go to get good enough.

One look at Houston and you see good, young, home-grown players all up and down its roster. One look at Texas and you see mediocrity everywhere. So, really, for the Rangers to compete, it’s simply a matter of making major upgrades in only twenty-four or twenty-five roster spots.

That’s it.

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