The San Francisco Giants welcome the Cincinnati Reds to Oracle Park on Wednesday, August 26, for a 3:45 p.m. ET first pitch. Landen Roupp gets the ball for San Francisco against left-hander Nick Lodolo in what shapes up as an intriguing pitching matchup by the Bay. With the regular season in its final stretch, every game carries weight, and the Giants will be leaning on their lineup — led by Rafael Devers batting second — to provide support against a Reds rotation that has shown it can keep offenses quiet.

Pitching Matchup: Landen Roupp vs. Nick Lodolo

Roupp takes the mound in what is a meaningful regular-season opportunity at home. The right-hander has worked to establish himself in San Francisco's rotation, and Oracle Park — with its cool air and spacious outfield — can play to a pitcher's advantage on days like this. He'll need to command the zone and keep Cincinnati's lineup off-balance to give the Giants a chance to take this one.

Lodolo is a legitimate challenge for any lineup. The Reds left-hander generates swing-and-miss with his fastball-curveball combination and has the profile of a pitcher who can take over a game when his command is sharp. The Giants will need to be patient and make him work early counts.

Giants Starting Lineup

• Jonah Cox, CF
• Rafael Devers, 1B
• Jung Hoo Lee, RF
• Buddy Kennedy, 3B
• Osleivis Basabe, DH
• Turner Hill, LF
• Andrew Knizner, C
• Shay Whitcomb, 2B
• Christian Koss, SS

Keys to Watch

Devers Sets the Table

Hitting Rafael Devers second in the order signals that the Giants want him seeing pitches early and often. Against a left-hander like Lodolo, Devers is a matchup the Giants should feel good about. If he gets on base and Jung Hoo Lee follows with something productive, this lineup has the potential to build innings in a hurry.

Can Roupp Keep Cincinnati Grounded?

Oracle Park has a way of rewarding pitchers who trust their stuff and work ahead in counts. Roupp's ability to navigate the middle of the Reds order will be the central storyline of this game. If he logs five-plus quality innings, the Giants bullpen should be positioned to close things out.

Getting to Lodolo Early

Lodolo can be dominant, but like most starters, he's more hittable the first time through the order than the third. Jonah Cox leading off gives San Francisco a chance to set the tone right away. If Cox gets on and Devers drives him in before Lodolo finds his rhythm, this game could look very different by the third inning.

Prediction

This is a competitive mid-week afternoon game between two teams playing out a meaningful regular season. Roupp has shown he can hold his own at Oracle Park, and the Giants lineup, with Devers anchoring it, has enough firepower to scratch out runs against Lodolo. It figures to be a close, low-scoring affair — the kind of game decided by a big swing or a key bullpen inning late. Lean Giants, 3-2.