5 sequence to maintain your eye on this week

With the Rays changing into the primary crew to play 81 video games as of the top of Sunday’s motion, we’re nearly on the precise midpoint of the 2023 MLB common season. Though something can occur within the second half, we’ve got sufficient of a pattern dimension to gauge who MLB’s probably contenders are.

Several of these contenders, together with the Rays themselves, will probably be put to the check in high-profile matchups this week. Tampa Bay will face Arizona in a battle of division leaders, whereas a few  main intra-division showdowns might have playoff implications.

Those matchups, and extra, are included in our 5 sequence to observe throughout the week of June 26:

Reds (41-37) at Orioles (47-29)
3 video games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to move: These groups final performed in July 2022, when the Reds took two of three video games in Cincinnati.

Storyline: These cities don’t share the identical rivalry in baseball that they do in soccer, the place the Cincinnati Bengals eradicated the Baltimore Ravens in the latest playoffs. But what the baseball groups do have in widespread with each other is younger rosters which might be vastly outperforming preseason expectations. The Reds have their highest win proportion since 2013, whereas the Orioles have their highest since 1979.

Giants (44-34) at Blue Jays (43-36)
3 video games (Tuesday-Thursday)

Head to move: These groups haven’t confronted off since 2019, when the Giants gained two video games in Toronto and cut up a two-game set in San Francisco.

Storyline: Are the Giants for actual? San Francisco entered June at precisely .500, at the least 5 video games again of each the Dodgers and Diamondbacks within the NL West race. But the Giants have turned it round since then, going 16-6 in June as they handed the Dodgers and now sit solely 2.5 video games again of Arizona.

Rays (54-27) at D-backs (47-32)
3 video games (Tuesday-Thursday)

Head to move: These groups final performed in May 2019, when the Rays gained two of three video games at residence.

Storyline: Two division leaders go at it. For the Rays, who’ve made every of the previous 4 postseasons (together with two AL East titles in that span), their 2023 success was considerably anticipated. But Arizona is amongst MLB’s extra stunning division leaders, because the D-backs and Rangers (extra on them later) are on tempo to turn into the primary groups ever to win a division one yr after ending 35 or extra video games out.

Marlins (45-34) at Braves (50-27)
3 video games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to move: The Braves are 6-1 towards the Marlins this season. That represents each Atlanta’s most wins towards any opponent in 2023, and Miami’s most losses to any opponent in 2023.

Storyline: Can the Marlins make the NL East race aggressive? Miami has surged into the playoff dialog by profitable 20 of its previous 28 video games, although there are indicators that their success will not be that sustainable (reminiscent of their 19-5 report in one-run video games, the very best report by any crew in such video games within the Modern Era). Still, because it stands now, the Marlins are in the very best place of any crew looking for to finish Atlanta’s run of 5 straight NL East titles. 

Watch out for: Eury Pérez. Here’s some context for the exceptional run that the rookie is on: He is the one pitcher to permit one or fewer runs in a six-game span in a single season (min. 30 IP) at age 20 or youthful since at the least 1901. On Saturday, he will probably be put to the check like by no means earlier than towards a loaded Braves lineup that includes the likes of Acuña, Matt Olson, Sean Murphy and extra.

Astros (42-36) at Rangers (47-30)
4 video games (Friday-Monday)

Head to move: The Rangers took two of three video games in Houston in April. In 2022, the Astros went 14-5 towards the Rangers, which represented their most wins towards any opponent of their World Series-winning season.

Storyline: Is this the yr the torch will get handed? From 2017-22, the Astros made six consecutive ALCS (the all-time AL report), whereas the Rangers had six consecutive dropping seasons. But to this point in 2023, it’s the Rangers, led by first-year supervisor Bruce Bochy, who lead MLB in run differential and lead the Astros within the AL West.

Watch out for: Adolis García. You want to attain runs to win video games, and García is one in every of 4 gamers to knock in at the least 60 of them this season (additionally Olson, Rafael Devers and Shohei Ohtani). This contains three RBIs within the Rangers’ sequence win over Houston in April. Led by García, Texas’ 5.95 runs per sport is the best whole by any crew because the 2007 Yankees (5.98).