Rangers Return Home with Battered Magic Number but Playoff Hopes Alive

The Texas Rangers return to where they play their best baseball. But is there enough time for them to make the ground they need to make the playoffs.

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Latz. Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas Rangers return home from Milwaukee after a 2-4 road trip that could have been worse — but not by much.

Texas (67-70) won the final game of its three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers and exited a trip to the Midwest facing deficits in both the American League West race and in the AL Wild Card race, where there is realistically just one bid up for grabs.

The Rangers have 25 games left this season. Of those 25, 16 are at Globe Life Field, where they are 36-29. Texas starts a seven-game homestand with the Athletics on Monday. Texas is going to have to rack up the wins at home if they’re unable to get things together on the road.

Here, we examine both races to assess where the Rangers and what they need to do this week. Magic numbers are courtesy of sportsmagicnumber.com.

AL West Race

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada. Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Houston is 69-68 and two games ahead of the Rangers. Both are 5-5 in their last 10 games, and the Rangers and Astros have had the same result each of the last two games. The Rangers had a one-game lead at the start of last week and surrendered it as the Astros had a 4-2 road trip in New York.

Houston’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth is 24. The Rangers’ magic number to clinch a playoff berth is 26. For Texas, that’s the combination of Rangers wins and Astros losses needed to clinch a berth.

The Rangers and Astros don’t get a day off this week. Houston returns home to host the Chicago White Sox for four games and then the Arizona Diamondbacks for three games. The Rangers have Athletics for three games and the Tampa Bay Rays for four games. Each faces a division leader.

Texas needs at least one more win than Houston this week. That would trim the Astros’ division lead to one game. The Rangers would love to get greedy and win two more. But winning one more would give them some momentum into the following week.

AL Wild Card Race

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At one point, the Rangers led this race last week. Now they are two games behind the Cleveland Guardians (69-68), who hold the final berth. The Baltimore Orioles (68-69) are a game back and the Toronto Blue Jays (68-70) are 1.5 games back. All three teams have a better record in their last 10 games than Texas.

As far as magic numbers, the Guardians have a magic number of 25. Baltimore is at 26 and Toronto is at 25.

The good news for Texas is that the Guardians and the Blue Jays play each other three times this week so that’s liable to create some chaos. Cleveland then plays Detroit four times in three days due to a doubleheader to makeup a rained-out game. The following week the Guardians get the Orioles on the road.

Baltimore plays three games against the Colorado Rockies before playing four against Boston at home.

All these teams are playing seven games this week. The Rangers need to win at least one more than each of them. That would position them nicely before next week.

Playing at home is the Rangers’ ace in the hole this week. They need to turn the page on last week and get back to winning baseball now.