Astros Opening Day: Rangers Await The World Champs Thursday

HOUSTON, TX — First thing's first, Astros fan. Forget about that tired, old sportswriting cliche about hope springing eternal when the opening day of baseball rolls around. For the Astros, that hope was captured last fall when the team won its first World Series in franchise history.

And if the oddsmakers are right, the Astros will be back in the Fall Classic come October.

The honeymoon of the seven-game win over the vaunted Los Angeles Dodgers is over. The parade has come and gone, the late-night talk show circuit is complete, the postseason accolades checked off, White House visit over and now Spring Training is done. Now the Astros are back on the diamond, looking to become the first team to win back-to-back World Series championships since the New York Yankees did it in 1999 and 2000.

And the Yankees are forecast to be the team to threaten Houston's venture into history.

That journey starts Thursday when the Astros open the season for a Lone Star Showdown against in-state rival Texas Rangers. The first pitch on ESPN will occur at 2:30 p.m. — Texas time.

Here are some things you might want to k ow heading into the 2018 season:

1. The lineup is almost identical to the 2017, which is scary. Leading off will be 2017 World Series MVP George Springer, followed by Alex Bregman, reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve and then Carlos Correa. According to mlb.com, the lineup will have depth, power and speed. The remaining lineup is: Yuli Gurriel, Josh Reddick, Evan Gattis, Marwin Gonzalez and Brian McCann. Uh oh, opposing pitchers.

2. The starting pitching rotation is downright nasty, starting with ALCS MVP Justin Verlander at the No. 1 spot. Verlander was an acquisition in a late-season trade last season. Now, if he stays healthy, the 2011 Cy Young and AL MVP winner will be the ace all year. Not to be outdone, the other starters include Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers Jr. and Gerrit Cole.

3. The bullpen will have a bevy of arms. MLB.com stated, "Houston signed right-handers Joe Smith and Hector Rondon in December to give it a couple of solid veteran arms to join former All-Stars Will Harris and Chris Devenski and embattled closer Ken Giles, who allowed 10 runs and 12 hits in 7 2/3 innings in the postseason."

4. The Astros will play a three-game series with the Rangers in Arlington, and the Bayou Boys play the home opener at Minute Maid Park on Monday (April 2) for a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles, followed by a weekend series against the San Diego Padres. Here's the link to their full schedule.

And if you want to relive those amazing 2017 World Series memories one last time before the season kicks off Thursday — and if you want a nice diversion from your work desk — here's a recap of the 2017 Fall Classic.

Top Image: Carlos Correa (1) and Jose Altuve (27) of the Houston Astros celebrate after hitting solo home runs during the 10th inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the 2017 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)