4:26 AM UTC
The week ahead features red-hot teams meeting head-to-head and red-hot hitters looking to continue their prodigious production at the plate. Something’s gotta give as a pair of American League East titans clash, two National League East clubs each riding big win streaks face off, and much more.
Here’s a look at five series to keep your eyes on this week:
Padres (35-36) at Giants (39-32)
4 games (Monday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: These two National League West rivals met in Mexico City from April 29-30, with San Diego sweeping the brief series thanks to a 16-11 slugfest victory in the first game and a 6-4 win the following day.
Storyline: The Giants are red-hot, entering this series on a seven-game win streak and coming off a sweep at Dodger Stadium in which they outscored the Dodgers, 29-8. Sunday’s 7-3 victory vaulted San Francisco into second place in the division. The Padres have been playing well, too — they’ve won seven of 10 after taking two of three from the Rays at Petco Park over the weekend.
Watch out for:Fernando Tatis Jr. had a .743 OPS at the end of May. In 16 games this month, he’s raised that OPS to .912 thanks to 10 doubles and five homers. He’s also continuing to handle right field with aplomb, with the latest example coming in Sunday’s series finale against Tampa Bay. In the eighth inning, he prevented the tying run from scoring thanks to a 99.5 mph throw to home plate.
Dodgers (39-33) at Angels (41-33)
2 games (Tuesday-Wednesday)
Head-to-head: This week’s renewal of the Freeway Series will be the first head-to-head meeting between the Dodgers and Angels this season. Last year, the Dodgers took all four head-to-head matchups.
Storyline: Both clubs find themselves in unfamiliar territory — the Dodgers are suddenly in third place in the NL West after being swept by the Giants, and the Angels are in second place in the AL West as we near the halfway mark of the regular season. The two clubs are heading in opposite directions, with the Dodgers having lost 10 of 15 games this month and the Halos having won 11 of their past 14.
Watch out for:Shohei Ohtani. We’re used to marveling at what the man does both at the plate and on the mound, but he’s on an offensive run that has vaulted him into the Major League lead for home runs (24) and he’s as locked in as ever with the bat. Over his last 15 games, Ohtani is hitting .446 with nine home runs, including multiple awe-inspiring shots to the opposite field.
Orioles (44-27) at Rays (51-24)
2 games (Tuesday-Wednesday)
Head-to-head: The Orioles took two of three games against the Rays in Baltimore from May 8-10. Last year, the season series was pretty even, with the Rays winning 10 and the O’s winning nine.
Storyline: While you may not have necessarily expected it during Spring Training, this matchup is now a clash of AL East titans, with Tampa Bay maintaining the best record in the Majors while Baltimore is five games back in the division. The Rays opened the season on a tear, but have fallen on relatively hard times of late, just having completed a losing road trip through Oakland and San Diego. The O’s, meanwhile, have won seven of 10.
Watch out for: When you’re a surprising team like the Orioles (although we’re quickly moving from being surprised by Baltimore’s success to a point where we’re expecting it), you need some breakout performances. That’s exactly what the O’s continue to get from right-hander Tyler Wells and left fielder Austin Hays. Wells is making a strong All-Star bid with his 3.20 ERA and MLB-leading 0.86 WHIP, and Hays owns an .875 OPS on the season after batting .480 with three doubles and a homer over his last six games.
Braves (46-26) at Phillies (38-34)
3 games (Tuesday-Thursday)
Head-to-head: The two clubs split a four-game series in Atlanta from May 25-28. Last season, the Braves won 11 of 19 meetings.
Storyline: Both teams have been playing very well of late, with each winning 13 out of 15 games coming into this week’s head-to-head matchup. The Phils are coming off a 6-1 road trip in which they took three of four from the NL West-leading D-backs before sweeping the A’s in Oakland. The Braves, meanwhile, just swept the Rockies and outscored Colorado by 28 runs, tied for the second-highest run differential in any four-game set in Braves history.
Watch out for: Phillies sluggers J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber had strong road trips, with Realmuto hitting .409 with two doubles, two triples, three homers and five walks in six games (not to mention the first Phillies cycle in 19 years), and Schwarber — who was hitting .171/.323/.430 before the trip — batting .310 with three homers. On the Braves’ side, Michael Harris II is enjoying a resurgence at the plate after a slow start to the season, posting a .978 OPS since May 25, including a five-hit game Sunday against the Rockies that included a 453-foot homer.
Rangers (44-27) at Yankees (39-33)
3 games (Friday-Sunday)
Head-to-head: The Rangers won three of four against the Yankees at Globe Life Field from April 28-30, after the Yankees won four of the seven games in the season series last year.
Storyline: While the Rangers continue to impress out west, maintaining a comfortable lead in their division under the steady guidance of Bruce Bochy, the Yankees continue to founder without their captain. Since Aaron Judge hurt his toe in a collision with the Dodger Stadium outfield fence on June 3, the Bronx Bombers have lost eight of 12 games, including five to the Red Sox alone following a weekend sweep in Boston.
Watch out for:Corey Seager is blistering hot at the plate. After his 4-for-5 performance with a pair of doubles and three RBIs in Sunday’s win over the Blue Jays, the star shortstop leads the Majors (minimum 150 plate appearances) with a 193 wRC+. He’s hitting .486 with five doubles and four homers over his past nine games.
