Wednesday afternoon at the Ballpark

A few notes on Uruguay’s Independence Day…

* David Murphy is out of the lineup on Wednesday night. The Rangers are facing five straight left-handers over the final five games of the homestand and manager Ron Washington wanted to give him a break.

* Mitch Moreland is in right field. It is his second start and third game in right field.

* Jorge Cantu is at first base and will be for the rest of the homestand. Cantu is a right-handed hitter and this is why the Rangers acquired him from the Marlins. They need his bat against left-handers even though he has yet to drive in a run since joining the Rangers.

* Josh Hamilton has an RBI in five straight games.

* Alex Cora, the infielder called up on Tuesday, is a left-handed hitter but Washington said he’ll get at least one start during this stretch of left-handed pitchers.

* The Rangers are 20-18 against left-handers this season but have lost five of the last six started by an opposing left-hander.

* Elvis Andrus takes a 14-game hitting streak into Wednesday’s game.

* The Twins have claimed left-handed reliever Randy Flores off waivers for tonight’s game.

* The Athletics are pitching left-handers Brett Anderson, Dallas Braden and Gio Gonzalez. The Rangers won’t face right-hander Trevor Cahill. They have lost all four games he has started for Oakland against them this season.