5 series to watch to close out August

As the dog days of August wind down this week and give way to the exciting baseball month of September, every series and, indeed, every game, becomes more and more crucial for teams in the postseason hunt. The upcoming week is packed with critical series harboring major playoff implications. Here's a look at five series you don't want to miss over the next seven days:

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

Head to head: The last time these two clubs met was just last week, when Boston handed Houston a 17-1 loss at Minute Maid Park on Thursday to split a four-game series. Those are the only four games these two clubs have played against each other so far this season.

Storyline: It's been an up-and-down August for the Astros, who are 13-11 this month, but with the first-place Rangers scuffling, Houston is tied with Texas in the American League West standings. The bad news for both clubs is that the Mariners have surged into first place, and both Lone Star State teams are a game back. The Red Sox, meanwhile, dropped two of three at home over the weekend against the Dodgers. Following a strong June, Boston is also 13-11 this month and finds itself 4 1/2 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 last 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 final two games of the Dodgers series over the weekend.

For the Astros, keep your eye on Alex Bregman, who has had a strong second half so far and has been particularly hot at the plate the past couple of days. Over the final two games of the Astros' weekend series against the Tigers, he went 5-for-8 with three doubles and a homer. And he loves to hit at Fenway Park, owning a 1.096 OPS with four homers in 15 career games at the venerable venue.

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

Head to head: These NL Central rivals have met seven times so far this season, and the Brewers have won four of the seven. Milwaukee took two of three from Chicago at Wrigley Field in the teams' opening series of the season, and they split a four-game set in Milwaukee from July 3-6.

Storyline: The Brewers are red-hot, riding an eight-game win streak into this divisional showdown on the North Side of Chicago. But the Cubs have been playing well, too, finding themselves four games behind division-leading Milwaukee in the NL Central thanks to seven wins over their last nine games. Chicago currently holds the second NL Wild Card spot and could make a big move with a strong series against the Brewers this week.

Watch out for: Seiya Suzuki is locked in at the plate since being pulled from the lineup for four games earlier this month to reset while being mired in an offensive slump. He's hitting .390 since then, and carries into the series against the Brewers a career-best 10-game hit streak. During the four-game weekend series in Pittsburgh, Suzuki went 7-for-17 with four doubles and a triple.

On the Brewers' side of the ledger, Freddy Peralta has figured things out after entering his final start of July with a 4.72 ERA on the season. Since then, he has a 1.75 ERA with 59 strikeouts to just 10 walks over six starts (36 innings), with opponents hitting just .167 against the right-hander over that span.

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

Head to head: These clubs split a four-game series at Great American Ball Park from July 17-20.

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

Watch out for: Although he was 0-for-3 on Sunday, Wilmer Flores is having a career year in his age-31 campaign. He's got four homers over his last 11 games and is hitting .296/.358/.538 with a career-high-tying 19 home runs in 2023. Flores has been San Francisco's best hitter this season and the Giants will need him to continue to produce at the plate if they're going to get back to the postseason.

For the Reds, you've always got to watch out for rookie phenom Elly De La Cruz. Although he had a rough series over the weekend in Arizona, he still managed to wow us thanks to a 99.7 mph throw to get D-backs star rookie Corbin Carroll trying for an inside-the-park homer on Sunday.

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

Head to head: The Dodgers took two out of three from the Braves at Truist Park in the only other series the teams have played against one another this season, from May 22-24.

Storyline: The NL's two most powerful teams meet for a late-season showdown at Chavez Ravine. Both have comfortable division leads, with Atlanta leading the NL East by 12 1/2 games, and Los Angeles enjoying a 12-game lead in the NL West. But if you're looking for a potential postseason preview, a clash between these behemoths, with the most prolific lineups in the league, is just the ticket.

Watch out for: Ronald Acuña Jr. is on the verge of making history this week, entering with 28 home runs and 59 steals on the year. With two more home runs and one more stolen base, he will become the first player in AL/NL history to smash 30 homers and swipe 60 bags in the same season.

Meanwhile, Mookie Betts continues to tear through August. His OPS this month is over 1.300 and he launched his career-high-tying 35th home run of the season in his former stomping grounds Sunday, belting a two-run shot over the Green Monster at Fenway Park in the Dodgers' 7-4 victory over the Red Sox. He's batting an incredible .464 with eight homers since Aug. 1.

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

Head to head: This will be the first meeting between these clubs since July 22-24, 2019, when the D-backs won two of three over Baltimore at Chase Field.

Storyline: As they open this series on the first day of September, both clubs are playing critical games down the stretch -- the O's are trying to hold off the Rays in the AL East race to win Baltimore's first division title since 2014, and the D-backs are trying to return to the postseason for the first time since 2017, currently occupying the third NL Wild Card spot by 1 1/2 games over the Giants and Reds.

Watch out for: Corbin Carroll cooled off considerably to open the second half of the season after the NL Rookie of the Year Award frontrunner played so well prior to the All-Star break that there began to be whispers about him being a potential MVP candidate. But the speedy outfielder is heating up at the plate once again, and it's a good time with the D-backs making a playoff push. Over his last eight games, he's hitting .520 with two doubles, two triples and a homer.

The Orioles had to place arguably the game's best closer, Félix Bautista, on the 15-day injured list due to a right UCL injury over the weekend, so keep your eye on reliever Yennier Cano, who slides into the closer role for Baltimore. The right-hander has been tremendous as a setup man this season, and picked up the save in place of Bautista against the Rockies on Saturday. He was unable to preserve a 3-3 tie late in Sunday's loss, however.