Now the test begins. Sweeping the Colorado Rockies is easy. Everyone is doing it. The Rockies are currently 7-36. The are on pace to win 26 games this year and lose 136

Remember, the Chicago White Sox set the record for futility last year by just 41 games and losing 121.

Colorado is much worse that than. On the other hand, Houston is a real, bona fide major league team, tied with the Rangers at second in a very winnable American League West.

Maybe playing the Rockies when they did was just the tuneup this saggy offense needed. Tonigh’s starter for the Astros has the third-best ERA in the American league at 1.48. That’s just one percentage point behind Tyler Mahle. All of which means, in non-math terms, Rangers hitters have their work cut out for them. 

Both team’s offenses have struggled. Both are without their best hitters: the Rangers Corey Seager and the Astros Yordan Alverez are both on the I.L. 

Both are getting disappointing offense from their newly-acquired, highly touted first basemen: Jake Burger with Texas and Christian Walker with Houston. 

Both are seeing their iconic players vastly underperforming: Marcus Semien with the Rangers and Jose Altuve with the Astros. 

But Houston’s team batting average is significanly higher than Texas’s: .251 to .233, and Houston has scored twenty more runs than Texas, 174 to 154.

One thing is sure, though: The Astros period of total dominance in the division is over. The Rangers have three games to show they are ready to take over in the West.

It won’t be easy. It shouldn’t be. 

They had their second spring training with three against the Rockies. Let’s see how they do against a major league team.

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