For the first time since its 2001 inception, the Lone Star Series has pennant-race repercussions this year.
The Texas Rangers visit Minute Maid Park for a pivotal three-game series beginning Friday night. The first-place Rangers lead the Astros by 3.5 games in the American League West standings with nine games left in the regular season for Houston.
The teams met last week in Arlington, with the Rangers sweeping the four-game series to take over first place, which the Astros had sole possession of since July 29.
The September series represent the biggest clash of Houston and Dallas teams since last spring, when the Rockets ousted the Mavericks in five games in the first round of the NBA playoffs.