5 series to watch to close out August

As the canine days of August wind down this week and provides solution to the thrilling baseball month of September, each sequence and, certainly, each sport, turns into increasingly essential for groups within the postseason hunt. The upcoming week is full of essential sequence harboring main playoff implications. Here’s a take a look at 5 sequence you do not need to miss over the following seven days:

Astros (74-58) at Red Sox (69-62)
3 video games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to move: The final time these two golf equipment met was simply final week, when Boston handed Houston a 17-1 loss at Minute Maid Park on Thursday to separate a four-game sequence. Those are the one 4 video games these two golf equipment have performed towards one another up to now this season.

Storyline: It’s been an up-and-down August for the Astros, who’re 13-11 this month, however with the first-place Rangers scuffling, Houston is tied with Texas within the American League West standings. The unhealthy news for each golf equipment is that the Mariners have surged into first place, and each Lone Star State groups are a sport again. The Red Sox, in the meantime, dropped two of three at residence over the weekend towards the Dodgers. Following a robust June, Boston can be 13-11 this month and finds itself 4 1/2 video games out of an AL Wild Card spot.

Watch out for: Adam Duvall has been red-hot for the Red Sox. After torching the Astros final week in Houston by going 9-for-16 with three doubles and three homers, he went 4-for-8 with a pair of doubles and a pair of homers over the ultimate two video games of the Dodgers sequence over the weekend.

For the Astros, maintain your eye on Alex Bregman, who has had a robust second half up to now and has been significantly sizzling on the plate the previous couple of days. Over the ultimate two video games of the Astros’ weekend sequence towards the Tigers, he went 5-for-8 with three doubles and a homer. And he likes to hit at Fenway Park, proudly owning a 1.096 OPS with 4 homers in 15 profession video games on the venerable venue.

Brewers (73-57) at Cubs (69-61)
3 video games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to move: These NL Central rivals have met seven instances up to now this season, and the Cubs have received 4 of the seven. Chicago took two of three from Milwaukee at Wrigley Field within the groups’ opening sequence of the season, and so they cut up a four-game set in Milwaukee from July 3-6.

Storyline: The Brewers are red-hot, driving an eight-game win streak into this divisional showdown on the North Side of Chicago. But the Cubs have been taking part in properly, too, discovering themselves 4 video games behind division-leading Milwaukee within the NL Central because of seven wins over their final 9 video games. Chicago presently holds the second NL Wild Card spot and will make a giant transfer if they’ve a robust sequence towards the Brewers this week.

Watch out for: Seiya Suzuki is locked in on the plate since being pulled from the lineup for 4 video games earlier this month to reset whereas being mired in an offensive hunch. He’s hitting .390 since then, and carries into the sequence towards the Brewers a career-best 10-game hit streak. During the four-game weekend sequence in Pittsburgh, Suzuki went 7-for-17 with 4 doubles and a triple.

On the Brewers’ facet of the ledger, Freddy Peralta has figured issues out after coming into his last begin of July with a 4.72 ERA on the season. Since then, he has a 1.75 ERA with 59 strikeouts to only 10 walks over six begins (36 innings), with opponents hitting simply .167 towards the right-hander over that span.

Reds (68-64) at Giants (67-63)
3 video games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to move: These golf equipment cut up a four-game sequence at Great American Ball Park from July 17-20.

Storyline: The Giants managed to salvage the sequence finale towards the powerhouse Braves at Oracle Park on Sunday night time, however San Francisco has misplaced seven consecutive sequence heading into this three-game set towards Cincinnati that’s brimming with Wild Card implications. Both the Giants and the Reds are 1 1/2 video games behind the D-backs for the third National League Wild Card place after the Reds dropped their sequence finale towards Arizona at Chase Field on Sunday afternoon.

Watch out for: Although he was 0-for-3 on Sunday, Wilmer Flores is having a profession yr in his age-31 marketing campaign. He’s bought 4 homers over his final 11 video games and is hitting .296/.358/.538 with a career-high-tying 19 residence runs in 2023. Flores has been San Francisco’s finest hitter this season and the Giants will want him to proceed to provide on the plate if they are going to get again to the postseason.

For the Reds, you have at all times bought to be careful for rookie phenom Elly De La Cruz. Although he had a tough sequence over the weekend in Arizona, he nonetheless managed to wow us because of a 99.7 mph throw to get D-backs star rookie Corbin Carroll making an attempt for an inside-the-park homer on Sunday.

Braves (84-45) at Dodgers (80-49)
4 video games (Thursday-Sunday)

Head to move: The Dodgers took two out of three from the Braves at Truist Park in the one different sequence the groups have performed towards each other this season, from May 22-24.

Storyline: The NL’s two strongest groups meet for a late-season showdown at Chavez Ravine. Both have snug division leads, with Atlanta main the NL East by 12 1/2 video games, and Los Angeles having fun with a 12-game lead within the NL West. But if you happen to’re in search of a possible postseason preview, a conflict between these behemoths, with probably the most prolific lineups within the league, is simply the ticket.

Watch out for: Ronald Acuña Jr. is on the verge of constructing historical past this week, coming into with 28 residence runs and 59 steals on the yr. With two extra residence runs and yet another stolen base, he’ll develop into the primary participant in AL/NL historical past two smash 30 homers and swipe 60 baggage in the identical season.

Meanwhile, Mookie Betts continues to tear by way of August. His OPS this month is over 1.300 and he launched his career-best thirty fifth residence run of the season in his former stomping grounds Sunday, belting a two-run shot over the Green Monster at Fenway Park within the Dodgers’ 7-4 victory over the Red Sox. He’s batting an unimaginable .464 with eight homers since Aug. 1.

Orioles (81-49) at D-backs (69-62)
3 video games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to move: This would be the first assembly between these golf equipment since July 22-24, 2019, when the D-backs received two of three over Baltimore at Chase Field.

Storyline: As they open this sequence on the primary day of September, each golf equipment are taking part in essential video games down the stretch — the O’s try to carry off the Rays within the AL East race to win Baltimore’s first division title since 2014, and the D-backs try to return to the postseason for the primary time since 2017, presently occupying the third NL Wild Card spot by 1 1/2 video games over the Giants and Reds.

Watch out for: Corbin Carroll cooled off significantly to open the second half of the season after the NL Rookie of the Year Award frontrunner performed so properly previous to the All-Star break that there started to be whispers about him being a possible MVP candidate. But the speedy outfielder is heating up on the plate as soon as once more, and it is a good time with the D-backs making a playoff push. Over his final eight video games, he is hitting .520 with two doubles, two triples and a homer.

The Orioles needed to place arguably the sport’s finest nearer, Félix Bautista, on the 15-day injured listing on account of a proper UCL damage over the weekend, so maintain your eye on reliever Yennier Cano, who slides into the nearer position for Baltimore. The right-hander has been great as a setup man this season, and picked up the save instead of Bautista towards the Rockies on Saturday. He was unable to protect a 3-3 tie late in Sunday’s loss, nonetheless.