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The red-hot Houston Astros will host the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game weekend series, starting Friday, July 1.
The AL West rivals are no strangers to each other. It is often said in sports that familiarity breeds contempt, and the fans of both teams certainly know how to talk trash.
This is an important series for both teams, with the Los Angeles Angels hoping to stay in the division race. While Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani have been dominant as usual, the rest of the team will have to step up to win this series.
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For the Houston Astros, this is a chance to extend their lead over the third-placed Angels and cement their claim to the AL West crown.
The Astros are coming off a win over the vaunted New York Yankees. Since they are the team to beat in the division, they can expect high effort from their opponents.
The Houston Astros have proven themselves to be one of the best teams in baseball, but the scrappy Los Angeles Angels still have a chance to record an upset win.
The Houston Astros have the upper hand going into the series against the Los Angeles Angels
Fans of the Los Angeles Angels have not had many reasons to cheer their team on in recent weeks. While their superstars continue to perform at a high level, many are concerned about the rest of the team.
Meanwhile, Houston Astros fans are riding high after their team's big win against the New York Yankees. They do not seem nervous about the upcoming series at all.
It's easy to be sarcastic when you're on top, but it's best not to get ahead of yourself.
If the home team underrates their opponents, they could quickly find themselves losing the series.
This is especially true considering how important the series is for the Angels, who need to come away with the win to stay in the AL West race.
This is the series that we could look back on as a major turning point in the American League playoff race.
The home team still carries all the momentum, especially after the Los Angeles Angels slowed down from the winning pace they started the season with.
Fans of both teams know how important this series is, and they are making their voices heard.
