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Everyone’s still alive: 5 MLB series that could impact the playoff chase

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Maybe this will be the week Major League Baseball’s playoff logjam finally breaks. (Note: It won’t be).

Alas, there’s decent potential for a little more separation within the packs of several playoff races, even as the week begins with 21 teams within 3½ games of a postseason berth, and 24 within 5½.

It’s an awful lot of mediocre baseball for one year, though perhaps this is how it’s all supposed to work out, what with almost every series carrying at least a scintilla of meaning (sorry, Rockies-Giants). With that, a look at five series this week that could significantly impact the races:

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.

(Scott Marshall, Imagn Images)

When: Monday-Thursday, Rogers Centre

Key matchup: Wednesday – Red Sox LH Ranger Suarez vs. Blue Jays RH Jose Soriano

Outlook: No, the defending AL champions aren’t dead yet, entering the week 3½ games out of a wild-card spot. They’re also coming off three consecutive series victories over St. Louis, Houston and Philadelphia, if we don’t count a makeup loss to the Cubs. A four-game sweep would pull them within four of the Red Sox, though they’d certainly need more help to reel them in.

As for the Red Sox, they finally dropped a series for the first time since July 1 when the Athletics won a pair at Fenway Park, just as Boston closed within a half-game of the Yankees for the No. 2 wild card. Is there hope for a division title? Probably a key moment for Boston to validate that its 32-5 run was the mark of a good team, not a streaky one.

When: Thursday-Sunday, Dodger Stadium

Key matchup: Saturday – Brewers RH Jacob Misiorowski vs. Dodgers LH Tarik Skubal

Outlook: Hey, you can’t spend your whole life parsing which 82-win team will land on the proper roulette space come late September. Here we have four games with the two best teams in the National League (apologies to Atlanta), though Milwaukee is trending up and the Dodgers are experiencing their annual late-summer malaise.

Ready for Referendum No. 10,836 On The Game Absolutely Needs/Doesn’t Need A Salary Cap? Surely these four games will speak symbolic volumes. While we’re not guaranteed the dream matchup of The Miz vs. Skubal come Saturday – the Dodgers are folding Blake Snell into the rotation Tuesday – it’s lining up as such. Be nice to have such a get-your-popcorn moment during a final two months that’s more a march to mediocrity. And what a seven-day trip for the Brewers, taking on the red-hot Padres before heading north.

When: Friday-Sunday, Comerica Park

Key matchup: Saturday – TBD vs. Tigers RH Troy Melton

Outlook: Otherwise known as the series where Detroit very likely could slide into first place.

Say what? If you devote your life to Baseball Transactions Minutiae you might have missed the fact that the Tigers have won seven of their past nine games since Tarik Skubal’s final start, thereby making the trade of Skubal regrettable and embarrassing. The Tigers are a very good bet to win the AL Central at this point and then look around in October like, “Geez, we could sure use another ace for these short playoff series.”

Right now, that guy is Melton, who has been dynamite since returning from elbow inflammation May 24, with a 1.46 ERA in 13 starts. The White Sox have occupied first place for 47 of the past 48 days and fended off the challengers by taking two of three from Cleveland during the weekend. Yet they’ve lost five of their last eight, and the drumbeat that their joyride might be nearing an expiration date will only grow louder.

When: Friday-Sunday, Progressive Field

Key matchup: Friday – Padres RH Michael King vs. Guardians RH Gavin Williams

Outlook: Just call this one the Naylor Bowl. Perhaps the Quantrill Qup. The Franmil Fiesta. The frequent trading partners now meet at a crossroads for both clubs. The Guardians have tumbled since adding Foster Griffin, Jo Adell and others at the trade deadline, losing five of six. Yet like the Tigers, they’re holding a pair of tickets that could be cashed at year’s end, still lurking four games behind the White Sox in the Central and 1½ out of a wild card. They start the week with three at Detroit.

The Padres have no such luxury: It’s wild card or bust and now they’re just a game back of both Philadelphia and Arizona. And they are coming on strong: Jackson Merrill has eight homers and a 1.127 OPS over his past 21 games, while trade additions Casey Mize and Robbie Ray, though stumbling in their first starts, add needed rotation stability.

When: Friday-Sunday, Daikin Park

Key matchup: Friday – Mariners RH George Kirby vs. Astros RH Peter Lambert

Outlook: We hesitate to include this one, as the designation “AL West champion” best be ignored this year, given that there’s a decent chance the winner might be .500 or worse. Yep, there’s a lot of time left but the coming week looks very make-or-break for the Mariners, who start with three games at Yankee Stadium. Bryan Woo has been terrible on the road – a 6.71 ERA vs. 1.96 at T-Mobile Park – and he’s slated to start twice this week.

The Astros enter the week with a half-game lead over Texas and 3½ over the Mariners. They also have the presumed MVP, Yordan Alvarez. Time for some separation? Nah, this is the 2026 AL West.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Everyone’s still alive: 5 MLB series that could impact the playoff chase

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