ARLINGTON, Texas _ For a week, Rangers outfielder Carlos Gomez blocked out any thoughts that he would soon face the club that released him in August.
That reunion arrives on Friday, when the Rangers open a three-game series against Houston at Globe Life Park.
Gomez said he has "no hard feelings" toward the Astros and blamed himself for his failings with them. Gomez will not approach the games as a chance to make his former employer look bad.
"If you look at it that it's the team that released you, you're so stressed that it's hard to perform and work like that," Gomez said.
In parts of two seasons with Houston, Gomez hit .221 with nine homers, 42 RBIs and a .619 OPS. In seven games with the Rangers, Gomez has continued to make inconsistent contact and is batting .160 with a .592 and 12 strikeouts in 25 at-bats.
The difference is in the record.
The Astros were 59-60 in Gomez' starts. The Rangers are 6-1 in Gomez' starts, and he has directly impacted three wins with a multi-run homer in two games and two top-rank catches in a third.
"You go 0-for-4 with strikeouts, and you feel like it's 4-for-4 with all the positive energy," Gomez said of his time with the Rangers. "Everybody comes to you like you're the best. That makes this team extremely good."
The Astros are in the rare position of paying an opposing player. The Rangers will pay $108,750 to Gomez for his time with the club this season, and he will receive $2.058 million from the Astros in the same span.
