Three September games worth watching Wednesday night

Wednesday night’s baseball schedule offers three useful tests for teams still trying to define their September. Boston and Texas meet in Arlington with the Rangers holding a 1-0 series edge, Atlanta visits Chicago with the winner taking the series, and Los Angeles carries a 2-0 lead into Cincinnati.

The games begin with the Dodgers and Reds at 6:40 p.m. Eastern. Los Angeles is 92-59 and has won all five meetings with Cincinnati this season. Blake Snell is scheduled to face Andrew Abbott. Snell has a 1.91 ERA and 51 strikeouts in a limited 4-1 season, while Abbott enters at 6-11 with a 4.78 ERA.

The matchup is less about the standings gap than whether Cincinnati can finally slow a lineup that has already beaten it in every meeting. ESPN’s preview notes the Dodgers are 36-12 when they hit at least two home runs. Elly De La Cruz has six homers over his last 10 games, giving Cincinnati a clear source of danger if it can get traffic in front of him.

Atlanta and Chicago follow at 7:40 p.m. The Braves are 89-63, the Cubs 84-68, and Atlanta leads the season series 3-2. Chicago starts Shota Imanaga, who is 10-10 with a 3.88 ERA and 156 strikeouts. Atlanta counters with rookie JR Ritchie, who has a 4.50 ERA in his first decisions.

That game has a straightforward pressure point: Chicago is 67-14 when it scores at least five runs, while Atlanta is 63-23 when it collects eight or more hits. Pete Crow-Armstrong has driven in 102 runs for the Cubs, and Nico Hoerner is 12-for-41 with six RBIs over his last 10 games. Matt Olson’s 39 home runs lead the Braves.

Boston and Texas close the featured slate at 8:05 p.m. The Red Sox are 82-69 and 44-32 on the road; the Rangers are 75-76 but 41-32 at home. Jake Bennett is slated to start for Boston against MacKenzie Gore. Bennett is 9-7 with a 3.69 ERA, while Gore has 172 strikeouts despite a 4.62 ERA. The season series is tied 2-2.

The Red Sox will want a better early answer after Texas scored four times in the second inning Tuesday. Boston’s lineup ranks fourth in the American League in slugging at .403, and Wilyer Abreu has 27 home runs and 76 RBIs. Texas can counter with Corey Seager, who has four homers in his last 10 games, and Jake Burger, who has 26 home runs and 83 RBIs.

These games share a useful September theme: the records are close enough that one starting pitcher, one extra-base hit or one late-inning matchup can change the shape of a series. The first pitch times and probable starters come from ESPN’s Wednesday previews; game status and lineups should be checked again before each start.