SERIES TO WATCH

YANKEES AT INDIANS (July 12-15)

After sweeping three games against the Indians at home in May, the Yankees travel to Cleveland for a four-game series that could be a postseason preview. In their last game,

became the youngest player in Yankees history to hit a walk-off homer, and Cleveland’s and New York’s

combined for the first major league game since 1908 in which both starting pitchers recorded at least nine strikeouts and allowed one or no hits. The two teams split four games at Cleveland last season.

Torres

Mike Clevinger Domingo German DIAMONDBACKS AT BRAVES (July 13-15) Gleyber

Neither team was the preseason division favorite, but both found themselves in first place at the Fourth of July. The Braves can credit some of their rise to the December 2015 trade that landed them center fielder and shortstop from Arizona, while the Diamondbacks rose despite getting little to no return from the pitcher they acquired in that deal. Both first basemen, of the Braves and of the Diamondbacks, are MVP candidates.

Inciarte Dansby Swanson Verlander

Shelby Miller,

Freeman Paul Goldschmidt ASTROS AT TIGERS (July 13-15) Ender Freddie Justin

right-hander is scheduled to pitch the finale of the three-game series in his first trip back to Comerica Park since the Tigers traded him Aug. 31. Verlander, who went on to help Houston win its first World Series title, spent the first 13 seasons of his career with Detroit and was the Astros American League MVP and Cy Young winner in 2011. The Astros won the season series 4-3 last year.

ATHLETICS AT GIANTS (July 13-15)

After lean years, the Bay Series has bite again. The rebuilt Giants are relevant in the National League West, and Oakland, after finishing last in the AL West three seasons in a row, is playing winning baseball and has won three of its past four games at AT&T Park. San Francisco catcher has a .424 batting average against the A’s the last three years.

Buster Posey ANGELS AT DODGERS (July 13-15)

The Dodgers get three home games between two multiplecity trips. Their home win rate of .531 lags behind their stellar marks from 2013 to 2017 — .580, .556, .679, .654 and .704 — that were a key to their five consecutive NL West titles. Since allowing a home run to the first batter he faced this season, Dodgers closer has given up one earned run in 232⁄3 innings at home, and

has 13 homers in 110 atbats at Dodger Stadium this year, a rate of one every 8.5 atbats.

Muncy Kenley Jansen CUBS AT PADRES (July 13-15) Max

The Cubs finish the first half of the season with a three-game series against a nemesis. Chicago is 9-9 against San Diego since 2015 despite making three consecutive appearances in the NL Championship Series during that span and even though the Padres lost an average of 91 games in those three seasons. The Padres won last year’s season series 4-2, including a three-game sweep in San Diego.