Wednesday newsletter time: Two weeks to go for Rangers. This is what Tony Beasley wants to see most

(AP photo/Tony Gutierrez)

ARLINGTON — The last two weeks of the Rangers’ season won’t be a full-blown tryout for 2023, interim manager Tony Beasley said, nor will veteran players just get a day off so that Young Minor-Leaguer can get a feel for the game at its highest.

The main reason for that is to preserve the sanctity of the postseason. Playoff teams and contenders deserve the Rangers’ best shot, so Beasley won’t be sending up a Triple A lineup this weekend against Cleveland, next weekend at Seattle or in the season-ending series against the Yankees.

“We owe it to teams that are fighting for playoff spots to make sure we compete and just throw in the towel,” Beasley said. “It’s important to us. We know where we are, but winning every day is still important.”

The Angels are not a playoff team, so Beasley said that if the Rangers are going to do anything off script, it would be the next two games and then the three next week in Anaheim. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary Tuesday as the Angels opened a three-game series with a 5-2 victory.

Cole Ragans allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings, but the bullpen allowed three runs in the sixth. Dennis Santana didn’t record an out, and John King issued hits that allowed some inherited runners to score.

The Rangers have 15 games remaining, and Beasley would like to see them go at least 8-7.

“I’d like to have two weeks of more victories than losses,” he said. “I’m happy with how the team has played. We’ve played well. We’ve competed well. We’ve come up short in games.”

Around the horn

Triple plays usually involve a line drive with base runners attempting to steal. Or a play that turns into a rundown with multiple base runners.

The 5-4-3 triple play, though, seems the rarest of all.

The Rangers turned one Tuesday.

The Angels had already scored three times in the sixth and had runners at first and second when Angels catcher Max Stassi hit a hard grounder to third baseman Josh Jung. He scrambled to step on third (first out) and fired a quick, strong throw to Marcus Semien at second base (second out).

Semien then fired to Nate Lowe at first (third out) to complete the triple play.

The Rangers have two triple plays this season, with the first coming April 20 at Seattle. They had one turned against them last month at Minnesota.

It is only the eighth triple play in club history.

🚨 TRIPLE PLAY 🚨 pic.twitter.com/HC4dxeXQyD

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 21, 2022

Frisco wins

Aaron Zavala, the Rangers’ second-round pick (38th overall) in the 2021 draft, connected for a tie-breaking solo home run in the eighth inning to lead Double A Frisco to a 7-3 victory over San Antonio in the best-of-3 Texas League South Division playoff series at Riders Field.

The series shifts to San Antonio for the final two games, with Game 2 set for Thursday. Left-hander Cody Bradford, the 2019 sixth-rounder who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft, is scheduled to start for Frisco.

Frisco trailed 3-0 as 2021 first-round pick Jack Leiter struggled with his control, walking six in 3 1/3 innings. Frisco tied the game in the fifth, and Zavala jump-started a four-run eighth with his homer right field.

Five relievers, including rehabbing Rangers reliever Joe Barlow, tossed 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

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Piece of cake.

Doggy video!

I don’t know if it’s cute, but it’s pretty damn funny. Enjoy. See you Thursday.

This is the cutest thing ever ! pic.twitter.com/GLmNmg59mN

— Heckin Good Dogs (@HeckinGoodDogs) September 19, 2022

Jeff Wilson, jeff@rangerstoday.com