Down to One: Close Games Doom Rangers in 2022

Texas Rangers interim manager Tony Beasley pinpointed the one number from 2022 that filled him with both frustration and promise.

Actually, it was two numbers, side by side, with a dash in between — 15-35.

That was the Rangers’ record in one-run games this season. It was a franchise-worst in those situations.

When Beasley took over as interim manager after Chris Woodward’s firing, Rangers general manager Chris Young said that part of the reason they elevated Beasley was to try and made adjustments that might help the Rangers in those situations. The team wasn’t excelling at situational baseball and Young said that Beasley came into the job at a “difficult time.”

Beasley was 17-31 as Rangers interim manager. When he took over, the Rangers were 6-24 in one-run games. With Beasley at the helm, the Rangers were 9-11.

So, there was some improvement. Beasley’s frustration was natural. But so was his philosophical optimism about being that close to winning so many games in 2022.

"That's probably the most frustrating part of our season," Beasley said. "Because you look back over those games and we had a chance to win. That's frustrating. If you’re just not competing and you have no shot, then you say, ‘So we're not good enough.’

"But all of those one-run games tell you that you're right there. That's frustrating, but at the same time it’s promising."

To Beasley, that shows the Rangers aren’t that far away from contending. It’s why he wanted to interview for the full-time job, which he did on Friday.

But the next step is to flip that record in one-run games.

“I’ve truly enjoyed every minute of it,” Beasley said. “I didn't expect it to be a cakewalk.”

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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