Two intriguing MLB series begin on the west coast

With about six weeks left in the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season, there are two intriguing series on the West Coast that begin on Monday. The series worth watching are the Minnesota Twins at the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Twins @ Padres

Both teams are in second place in their respective divisions. The Twins are in second place in the American League Central with a record of 70 wins and 54 losses. The Padres are in second place in the National League Central with a record of 70 wins and 55 losses.

Minnesota trails the Cleveland Guardians by two games. The Guardians are coming off a weekend where they were swept by the National League Central Division leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Luis Arraez of San Felipe, Venezuela, who shared his time this season with the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres, is second in the Major Leagues in hits with 151. The only player with more hits is Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of Colleyville, Texas with 173 hits. Ironically, Arraez used to play with the Twins.

On the mound, Padres closer Robert Suarez of Bolivar, Venezuela is third in the National League in saves with 27. He is only behind St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley of Tahlequah, Oklahoma (38), and Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan of Detroit, Michigan (31).

Mariners @ Dodgers

The Mariners are in second place in the American League West with a record of 64 wins and 61 losses. They trail the first place Houston Astros by four games. The Dodgers lead the National League West with a record of 73 wins and 52 losses. They lead the Padres by three games and the Arizona Diamondbacks by three and a half games.

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani of Oshu, Japan leads the National League with 39 home runs, and is second in the National League with 37 stolen bases.  The only player with more stolen bases is Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz of Sabana Grande de Boya, Dominican Republic, with 59 stolen bases. From a Mariners perspective, Logan Gilbert of Winter Park, Florida, who gets the start on Wednesday, leads the Majors with 20 quality starts.