Astros: Ten must-watch events of the 2018 season

4. Dog Days of Summer Battle vs. Texas Rangers

When: Friday, July 27^th – Sunday, July 29^th

Bout: Health vs. Fatigue

The Storyline: The nights are longer and the days are hotter. Nothing is more heated than yet another mid-summer classic bout with in-state rivals, the Texas Rangers. The fireworks on Friday night will carry through the weekend. The dog days of summer will surely test the health and fatigue of all 30 major league teams especially the defending champion Astros as they had a much shorter offseason than the rest of the league.

This is where depth and endurance come in to play. In this second half stretch, the Astros face the Angles, Rockies, Rangers, and Mariners. Three of which are division foes that you shouldn’t sleep on. 162 games is a long season. Some teams may have nothing to play for at this point. The Astros will be tested to not-overlook these teams who may be playing spoiler for contenders.

3. California Dreaming World Series Rematch vs. Los Angeles Dodgers.

When: Friday, August 3^rd – Sunday, August 5^th

Head to Head: A.J. Hinch vs. Dave Roberts

The Storyline: This storyline speaks for itself. A rematch of that nail-biting seven-game World Series which crowned the Houston Astros with their first championship in franchise history. In a late-season interleague series, the Los Angeles Dodgers reluctantly welcome the Astros to town.

This weekend series may not mean much for standings purposes but look for another tough matchup and efforts by both squads. Good friends A.J. Hinch and Dave Roberts look to position themselves for another postseason run and the possible rematch in the 2018 World Series. This time, the series winner may prove home field advantage should a rematch occur. The Dodgers came just short of a title so they will be looking for revenge.