Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers

Houston Astros at Texas Rangers (2026-07-12). Cristian Javier vs MacKenzie Gore at Globe Life Field.

Starters — Javier has a 10.22 ERA, 2.27 WHIP, and 12.1 IP with 5.84 K/9, 8.76 BB/9, and 2.19 HR/9. His last three appearances were 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 K, 2 BB on July 8; 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 BB on July 4; and 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB on April 8. The trend is down, and the profile shows major control issues with elevated traffic and home run risk. Gore has a 4.72 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 101.0 IP with 9.89 K/9, 3.56 BB/9, and 0.98 HR/9. His last three starts were 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 7 K, 1 BB on July 8; 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 K, 1 BB on July 1; and 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 K, 1 BB on June 25. The trend is listed up, but the recent game log shows two rough outings in a row despite steady strikeout and walk numbers.

Teams — Houston enters with a .728 OPS, 444 runs, a .242 average, and a pitching staff carrying a 4.79 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. The Astros are 5-5 over their last 10 games. Their offensive edge in OPS and total runs stands out, but the team pitching numbers have been vulnerable. Texas has a .716 OPS, 393 runs, a .244 average, and a 4.12 team ERA with a 1.25 WHIP. The Rangers are also 5-5 in their last 10. Texas has been the better run-prevention team overall, while Houston has produced more offense across the season.