The NFL might be overshadowed this Sunday, at least in the Houston metro area. The New Orleans Saints will kick off with the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium at Noon CT — with MLB’s American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers set to begin about 20 minutes uptown at Minute Maid Park.
Now, we aren’t sure when that playoff game is going to start; the MLB is fine-tuning their playoff schedule as various series wrap up around the country. But what’s certain is that the Saints and Texans are looking like an undercard matchup before a heated tilt between two in-state rivals.
There’s a lot on the line: whoever wins this best-of-seven series will earn the AL pennant and advance to the World Series. On top of that, the Rangers own a two-game lead in the “Lone Star Series” history with the Astros, but Houston won 9 of their 13 games in the MLB regular season this year.
At any rate — expect this MLB playoff game to start with plenty of time to spare between the Saints-Texans final whistle. Houston is a strong sports town and they’ll want a packed house, not to mention plenty of time for viewers at home to tune in. We’ll keep an eye out for a confirmed start time and any scheduling conflicts.
Update: MLB announced that first pitch for Astros-Rangers is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT. There’s plenty of time between the two games, but plan on heavy traffic in downtown Houston if you’re making the trip.
