Forget the records and the recent history.
None of it mattered and none of it will seem to ever matter when the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros meet on the diamond.
On Friday night, the last-placed Rangers looked every bit the equal of their American League rivals, despite the Astros' 2017 World Series pennant still sparkling atop the railroad tracks in left field at Minute Maid Park.
Rangers' starting pitcher Cole Hamels looked like he was in the middle of one of his Phillies playoff runs, facing off against the Astros' ace Justin Verlander who very much remains one of the league's most dominating pitchers.