The Texas Rangers welcome the San Francisco Giants to Globe Life Field on Wednesday, August 5 for a 2:35 PM ET afternoon contest. Cody Bradford gets the ball for Texas, squaring off against left-hander Carson Whisenhunt as the Rangers look to take care of business at home. With the dog days of August underway and every game carrying real standings weight, this mid-week matinee is exactly the kind of game a playoff-hungry club needs to win in front of its own crowd in Arlington.

Probable Pitchers: Cody Bradford vs. Carson Whisenhunt

Bradford has carved out a role in the Texas rotation with his ability to command the strike zone and keep the ball on the ground. The left-hander relies on deception and location rather than overpowering velocity, which makes his execution on any given day the central storyline for the Rangers' pitching side of this matchup. If he's hitting his spots early and keeping San Francisco off-balance, Texas should be in good shape through the middle innings.

Whisenhunt is a young left-hander working to establish himself at the big-league level with the Giants. He brings a competitive arm and the kind of stuff that can give lineups trouble when he's on. Texas will need to be patient against him and look to work counts, especially early in the game when a young pitcher can be at his sharpest.

Texas Rangers Starting Lineup

• Wyatt Langford — LF
• Ezequiel Duran — 3B
• Brandon Nimmo — RF
• Jake Burger — 1B
• Justin Foscue — DH
• Elias Díaz — C
• Nicky Lopez — SS
• Cam Cauley — 2B
• Evan Carter — CF

Keys to Watch for Texas

Langford and Carter Bookend the Order

Having Wyatt Langford leading off and Evan Carter hitting ninth gives the Rangers speed and on-base ability at both ends of the lineup. If those two can get on base and create havoc on the basepaths, it puts pressure on Whisenhunt and opens things up for the middle of the order.

Burger and Foscue in the Heart of the Order

Jake Burger hitting cleanup and Justin Foscue slotted fifth represents the power core of this lineup. Burger has the kind of pull-side pop that can punish a left-hander who drifts over the plate. Foscue, still working to cement his role as an everyday contributor at the big-league level, has a real opportunity here to make a statement against a pitcher in a similar stage of his own development.

Bradford's Command Sets the Tone

Everything flows from Bradford on the mound. If he can get ahead in counts and work efficiently through San Francisco's lineup, the Rangers' bullpen gets a chance to rest and Texas controls the pace of the game. A short outing from Bradford puts pressure on a relief corps that needs its workload managed this time of year.

Prediction

This is a winnable game at home for Texas. Bradford is a solid bet to give the Rangers six competitive innings if his command is on, and the lineup has enough depth and lineup construction to scratch across runs against a young starting pitcher still finding his footing. Look for the Rangers to take this one at Globe Life Field, 4–2.