Skenes-Ohtani, LCS rematches lead series to watch this week

There¡¯s nothing better than a rematch of a heated playoff series from the previous season ¡­ unless you happen to get two of them at once.

This coming week, we¡¯re blessed enough for that to be the case. After the D-backs beat the Phillies, and the Rangers beat the Astros, in respectively thrilling seven-game LCS showdowns, both of those pairs of teams will be facing off again this week, headlining our series to watch for the week of August 5.

Astros (57-54) at Rangers (53-59)
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to head: Following last year's playoff series, these teams are 5-5 against each other this season.

Storyline: Do the Rangers have more magic in them? After winning their first World Series in franchise history, they are on pace to be the first defending champion to miss the playoffs since the 2020 Nationals. But they are still only 5.5 games back in the AL West (4.5 games behind Houston), and this series could go a long way in trimming those gaps.

Watch out for: Adolis García. Though Garc¨ªa has generally struggled this year (.660 OPS), he¡¯s still an Astros destroyer. The reigning ALCS MVP has 18 home runs against Houston since he became a full-time starter in 2021, six more than any other player, including playoffs. Only one of those has come this season, but he still has a .395 OBP in 10 games against the Astros in 2024.

Red Sox (59-51) at Royals (63-50)
3 games (Monday-Wednesday)

Head to head: The Red Sox took two of three games against the Royals in Boston, just before the All-Star break.

Storyline: Is either playoff upstart for real? Neither of these teams was on anyone¡¯s short list of AL contenders entering the season, given that both finished last in their respective divisions in 2023. But as it stands now, the Royals are in playoff position, with the Red Sox only 2.5 games behind them for the last Wild Card spot.

Watch out for: Bobby Witt Jr. It¡¯s a generic pick, but it¡¯s impossible not to shout out the ridiculous tear he¡¯s been on. Since July 1, his 48 hits are eight more than any other player, and he also ranks top-2 in MLB with a .444 batting average (1st), .475 OBP (2nd) and .769 slugging percentage (2nd), among players with at least 75 PA in that span.

Phillies (66-45) at D-backs (60-52)
4 games (Thursday-Sunday)

Head to head: Following last year's NLCS, in which the D-backs overcame a 2-0 series deficit, the Phillies are 2-1 against Arizona this year, winning two of three games in Philadelphia in June.

Storyline: Will these teams¡¯ clashing narratives continue? The Phillies were the talk of the sport for most of the first half of the season, but they have lost six consecutive series, their longest streak since August 16 to September 12, 2018 (eight series). Meanwhile, the D-backs sputtered to a 25-32 start, but they¡¯ve looked like the reigning NL pennant winners since then, as their 19-9 record and +58 run differential since the start of July both lead MLB.

It¡¯s also worth noting that this will be the Phillies¡¯ second series against an NL playoff contender this week, as Philadelphia will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers from Monday-Wednesday before continuing their west coast road trip in Arizona.

Watch out for: Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber recently became the second player in AL/NL history to have multiple seasons with 10 leadoff home runs (joining Alfonso Soriano). Furthermore, despite his team¡¯s loss, Schwarber was dominant in last year¡¯s NLCS, blasting five solo home runs and finishing the series with a 1.670 OPS.

Guardians (67-44) at Twins (62-48)
4 games (Friday-Sunday, doubleheader on Friday)

Head to head: The Guardians are 5-0 against the Twins this season. That¡¯s the most wins, without a loss, that Cleveland has against any team in 2024.

Storyline: The battle for the AL Central is on. These teams have combined for seven of the past eight AL Central titles (four by Cleveland, three by Minnesota), with the 2021 White Sox being the lone exception. The Guardians currently have a 4.5-game edge, but it¡¯s far from over, particularly if this long series goes Minnesota¡¯s way.

Watch out for: Pablo López. After an All-Star season in which he finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting in 2023, L¨®pez surprisingly struggled to the tune of a 5.11 ERA at the time of this year¡¯s All-Star break. But he has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last four starts -- his longest such streak since July 20 to August 18, 2023 (six starts). L¨®pez is in line to start Sunday.

Pirates (56-55) at Dodgers (65-47)
3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head to head: The Pirates took two of three games against the Dodgers in Pittsburgh in June.

Storyline: Paul Skenes vs. Shohei Ohtani rematch. It¡¯s fun to watch the best go against the best, and their showdowns in June provided no shortage of memorable moments. Skenes is in line to start Saturday, meaning there¡¯s a good chance we¡¯ll see more fireworks.

Watch out for: Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds, who earned his second career All-Star selection this season, has vastly picked things up since the start of June. He has a .335 batting average and .986 OPS since June 1, including four hits in the three-game series against the Dodgers.