Matchups between first-place clubs among 5 series to watch this week

You will be forgiven if you spend the week ahead splitting your attention between the action on the diamond and the latest rumors as we creep closer to the July 30 Trade Deadline.

This week is the last full one prior to the Deadline, so the rumor mill should really start spinning, and maybe we'll see some star players land on new clubs by Sunday night.

Between now and then, though, there is a glut of good stuff on the schedule. Consider this:

--The Yankees and Mets, Giants and Dodgers, and Mets and Braves all rekindle their rivalries.
--The NL-East leading Phillies visit the Twins, who currently hold the second American League Wild Card.
--The Rangers and Blue Jays meet in a series between two clubs still hoping for a pre-Deadline turnaround.
--The first-place Brewers take on the Cubs at Wrigley Field in an NL Central clash.
--Diamondbacks-Royals is another series with heavy Wild Card implications.

And yet, those series did not make the cut for our five series to watch. Yep, this week is absolutely stacked with intriguing matchups.

Cardinals at Pirates
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The Cardinals have taken four of six games from the Pirates this year. Most recently, St. Louis won a three-game set at Busch Stadium in June.

Storyline: About two months ago, not many would have assumed that both of these teams would turn themselves around and be in the thick of the playoff hunt. But the Cardinals and Pirates have been two of the best in the Senior Circuit since May 10. St. Louis' 37-24 record since that date is tops in the NL, and Pittsburgh isn't too far behind (33-27). That's put the Cards in possession of the second NL Wild Card while the Pirates had won six consecutive games prior to Sunday's loss to the Phillies and are just a half-game out of the picture. Of course, May 10 was the Pirates' last day without Paul Skenes on their roster. He's been pretty good.

What to watch for: It has to be Skenes, who has entered that realm occupied by the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge where you must stop whatever you are doing to watch him. The last time Skenes faced St. Louis, he pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings and received a standing ovation from Cardinals fans. He is scheduled to go up against veteran righty Lance Lynn on Tuesday.

Reds at Braves
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head-to-head: Monday's game will be the first between these two teams in 2024. The Braves went 5-1 against the Reds last season.

Storyline: Two Wild Card contenders with exciting talent in each dugout battle at Truist Park. But both of these clubs are reeling right now. The Reds are four games out of a playoff spot after being swept by the Nationals over the weekend. Cincinnati is 5-8 over its past 13 games, all of which came against sub-.500 competition. On the bright side, Elly De La Cruz is slashing .305/.388/.610 with 20 extra-base hits and 14 steals over his previous 30 games.

Atlanta has a four-game cushion for the No. 1 Wild Card spot but is just 12-13 since June 22. Besides losing to the Cardinals on Sunday, the Braves also lost All-Star left-hander Max Fried and second baseman Ozzie Albies to the injured list. Who will step up as the injuries pile up for Atlanta?

What to watch for: Monday's mound matchup is a dandy between two All-Stars: Reds fireballer Hunter Greene versus Reynaldo López, who has a 1.88 ERA across 95 2/3 innings. Get your popcorn ready.

Guardians at Phillies
3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: These teams haven't met since July 2023, when the Guardians claimed two of three games at Progressive Field.

Storyline: By the time we get to Friday, this could be a matchup between the two best records in MLB. That would be the case now if the Guardians had not lost Sunday, which dropped them a half-game behind the Orioles for the top mark in the AL. Still, the Guardians and Phillies hold a significant lead in their divisions, have a winning percentage better than .600 and boast a combined 13 All-Stars. Perhaps this is an October preview in late July.

What to watch for: Steven Kwan and Trea Turner. Among batters with at least 250 plate appearances this year, these table-setters rank first and second, respectively, in batting average. Kwan's mark has fallen to a mere .346 as his bat hasn't been too prolific of late. Conversely, Turner is batting .361 in July and owns a .339 average on the year.

Dodgers at Astros
3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: The Dodgers won twice in a three-game series against the Astros at Dodger Stadium last season. Each game was decided by one run.

Storyline: The 2017 World Series is probably the first thing that comes to mind for some people when they see this pairing on the schedule. Many of the on-field faces have changed since, but these teams -- the two winningest in baseball since 2017 -- have continued to thrive. The Astros have erased the memory of a dreadful April and grabbed a share of first place in the AL West after winning a weekend series in Seattle. The Dodgers, despite myriad injuries, are on track to capture their 11th division title in the past 12 years. Plus, they should get stronger this week with the expected returns of starting pitchers Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw.

What to watch for: This series provides a duel between dynamic designated hitters Yordan Alvarez and Shohei Ohtani. And both sluggers flexed their muscles Sunday. Alvarez hit for the cycle while Ohtani walloped a jaw-dropping homer that just about cleared Dodger Stadium.

Yankees at Red Sox
3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: Boston has won each of the two series between these longtime rivals this year and is 4-2 against the Yankees overall in 2024.

Storyline: My, how these teams have seen their fortunes change since meeting at Fenway Park from June 14-16. Although the Yanks are still 17 games over .500, they are 10-20 since the beginning of that series; only the White Sox have a worse record during that span (9-22). New York's team batting average (.227) and ERA (5.22) also rank 28th in the Majors. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have gone 18-11, the second-best record in the American League. Once 14 games back in the AL East, Boston is now 6 1/2 behind the division-leading Orioles and right in the mix for a Wild Card. They have been carried by a lineup that's recorded a .789 OPS since June 14, fourth-best in MLB.

What to watch for: Plenty of eyes will be on the Yankees' duo of MVP candidates, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. However, Jarren Duran is sneaking into that race. The All-Star Game MVP has 12 hits and seven RBIs over his past five games. Since the start of June, Duran has registered a .341/.393/.601 slash line, and his 25 extra-base hits trail only Ohtani's 26.