Rangers Host Struggling Athletics in Afternoon Globe Life Showdown
Texas enters Wednesday's 2:35 PM ET matinee at Globe Life Field sitting at 69-70, a team that still has something real to play for down the stretch. The Athletics, at 53-86, are playing out the string — but that doesn't mean they're harmless.
The pitching matchup sets an interesting table. Cody Bradford is expected to start for Texas, while Jacob Lopez is set to take the mound for Oakland. Neither arm carries the kind of name recognition that dominates a back-page headline, which means the offensive performers on both sides will likely dictate the tone of this one.
For the Athletics, the two names worth tracking are Jeff McNeil and Zack Gelof. McNeil is hitting .266 and leads the club with 49 RBI — a quiet, professional presence in a lineup that doesn't have much margin for error. Gelof brings the pop, sitting at 14 home runs on the season. He's the guy who can change a game with one swing, and against a Rangers staff that needs every win it can get, Bradford can't afford to leave anything over the middle to him. On the Texas side, the production is more concentrated and more dangerous. Jake Burger leads the club with 78 RBI — that's a legitimate run-producer doing real damage all season. Joc Pederson has 24 home runs, making him the clear power threat in the lineup. And Ezequiel Duran is hitting .272, giving the Rangers a contact option who can set the table. That's a formidable trio, and on paper, Texas has the offensive edge.
As for a model read on this one — there isn't one available for this game, and that's worth being straight about rather than papering over with false confidence. What the numbers do tell you plainly: Texas is fighting for positioning and has the more dangerous lineup top to bottom. Oakland is a team that has little to lose, which occasionally makes them unpredictable. Watch how Bradford handles Gelof, and whether McNeil can keep the Athletics competitive deep into the game. Catch it on MLB.TV, Rangers Sports Network, or NBC Sports CA.