Let the fun begin as Rangers host Astros

The Texas Rangers are the American League’s very best team. The Houston Astros are its hottest. So when the two teams begin a four-game series at Globe Life Park on Monday, this will be one of the season’s interesting intersections.

This is the kind of series the two franchises thought might get the attention of an entire state when the Astros joined the AL four seasons ago.

Let the fun begin.

For the Astros, fun hasn’t been a word associated with Arlington despite some first-rate barbecue and Tex-Mex. They’ve lost 10 in a row there, and as Astros skipper A.J. Hinch joked, “My goal is to win a game there before I’m done as manager.”

Actually, his goals aren’t really that modest, but as the Astros haven’t won in Arlington since April 12, 2015, baby steps are a reasonable goal.

Here are five reasons to believe in both clubs.

First, the Rangers, who have everything clicking after completing a weekend sweep of the Mariners on Sunday, opening a season-high three-game lead in the AL West. At 34-22, the Rangers are 12 games above .500 for the first time this season.

1. Since general manager Jon Daniels shored up the roster last July, Texas is 75-44, best in the AL. Since May 20 the Rangers have won 12 of 15 games and outscored the opposition, 84-48. In that time their staff ERA is 3.04, tops in the AL.

2. Yu Darvish’s return from Tommy John surgery has created the AL’s best rotation. Darvish has allowed four earned runs in 10 2/3 innings in two starts and may need some time to be back at his best. But with Cole Hamels, Colby Lewis, Martin Perez and Derek Holland all pitching well, the Rangers can bring Darvish along at a slow, steady pace.

3. Holland seemed to be the only question in the …

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