5 series to watch this week

The week forward options red-hot groups assembly head-to-head and red-hot hitters trying to proceed their prodigious manufacturing on the plate. Something’s gotta give as a pair of American League East titans conflict, two National League East golf equipment every driving large win streaks face off, and far more.

Here’s a take a look at 5 collection to maintain your eyes on this week:

Padres (35-36) at Giants (39-32)
4 video 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 temporary collection due to a 16-11 slugfest victory within the first recreation and a 6-4 win the next day. 

Storyline: The Giants are red-hot, coming into this collection on a seven-game win streak and coming off a sweep at Dodger Stadium wherein they outscored the Dodgers, 29-8. Sunday’s 7-3 victory vaulted San Francisco into second place within the division. The Padres have been taking part in nicely, too — they’ve received 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 on the finish of May. In 16 video games this month, he’s raised that OPS to .912 due to 10 doubles and 5 homers. He’s additionally persevering with to deal with proper discipline with aplomb, with the most recent instance coming in Sunday’s collection finale towards Tampa Bay. In the eighth inning, he prevented the tying run from scoring due to a 99.5 mph throw to residence plate.

Dodgers (39-33) at Angels (41-33)
2 video games (Tuesday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: This week’s renewal of the Freeway Series would be the first head-to-head assembly between the Dodgers and Angels this season. Last 12 months, the Dodgers took all 4 head-to-head matchups.

Storyline: Both golf equipment discover themselves in unfamiliar territory — the Dodgers are immediately in third place within the NL West after being swept by the Giants, and the Angels are in second place within the AL West as we close to the midway mark of the common season. The two golf equipment are heading in reverse instructions, with the Dodgers having misplaced 10 of 15 video games this month and the Halos having received 11 of their previous 14.

Watch out for: Shohei Ohtani. We’re used to marveling at what the person does each on the plate and on the mound, however he’s on an offensive run that has vaulted him into the Major League lead for residence runs (24) and he’s as locked in as ever with the bat. Over his final 15 video games, Ohtani is hitting .446 with 9 residence runs, together with a number of awe-inspiring photographs to the alternative discipline.

Orioles (44-27) at Rays (51-24)
2 video games (Tuesday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The Orioles took two of three video games towards the Rays in Baltimore from May 8-10. Last 12 months, the season collection was fairly even, with the Rays profitable 10 and the O’s profitable 9.

Storyline: While you could not have essentially anticipated it throughout Spring Training, this matchup is now a conflict of AL East titans, with Tampa Bay sustaining the most effective document within the Majors whereas Baltimore is 5 video games again within the division. The Rays opened the season on a tear, however have fallen on comparatively exhausting instances of late, simply having accomplished a shedding highway journey via Oakland and San Diego. The O’s, in the meantime, have received seven of 10.

Watch out for: When you’re a shocking crew just like the Orioles (though we’re shortly shifting from being stunned by Baltimore’s success to a degree the place we’re anticipating it), you want some breakout performances. That’s precisely what the O’s proceed to get from right-hander Tyler Wells and left fielder Austin Hays. Wells is making a powerful All-Star bid together 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 final six video games.

Braves (46-26) at Phillies (38-34)
3 video games (Tuesday-Thursday)

Head-to-head: The two golf equipment break up a four-game collection in Atlanta from May 25-28. Last season, the Braves received 11 of 19 conferences.

Storyline: Both groups have been taking part in very nicely of late, with every profitable 13 out of 15 video games coming into this week’s head-to-head matchup. The Phils are coming off a 6-1 highway journey wherein they took three of 4 from the NL West-leading D-backs earlier than sweeping the A’s in Oakland. The Braves, in the meantime, simply swept the Rockies and outscored Colorado by 28 runs, tied for the second-highest run differential in any four-game set in Braves historical past.

Watch out for: Phillies sluggers J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber had robust highway journeys, with Realmuto hitting .409 with two doubles, two triples, three homers and 5 walks in six video games (to not point out the primary Phillies cycle in 19 years), and Schwarber — who was hitting .171/.323/.430 earlier than the journey — batting .310 with three homers. On the Braves’ facet, Michael Harris II is having fun with a resurgence on the plate after a gradual begin to the season, posting a .978 OPS since May 25, together with a five-hit recreation Sunday towards the Rockies that included a 453-foot homer.

Rangers (44-27) at Yankees (39-33)
3 video games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: The Rangers received three of 4 towards the Yankees at Globe Life Field from April 28-30, after the Yankees received 4 of the seven video games within the season collection final 12 months.

Storyline: While the Rangers proceed to impress out west, sustaining a cushty lead of their division beneath the regular steerage of Bruce Bochy, the Yankees proceed to founder with out their captain. Since Aaron Judge damage his toe in a collision with the Dodger Stadium outfield fence on June 3, the Bronx Bombers have misplaced eight of 12 video games, together with 5 to the Red Sox alone following a weekend sweep in Boston.

Watch out for: Corey Seager is blistering scorching on the plate. After his 4-for-5 efficiency with a pair of doubles and three RBIs in Sunday’s win over the Blue Jays, the star shortstop leads the Majors (minimal 150 plate appearances) with a 193 wRC+. He’s hitting .486 with 5 doubles and 4 homers over his previous 9 video games.