10 Huge MLB Series to Pay Attention to in May

Baseball fans have seen plenty of action through the first month of the 2013 MLB season, but the month of May is when the schedule really ramps up.

The weather gets warmer, the players get adjusted and the schedule gets more difficult, as May will pit plenty of divisional and crosstown rivals against each other.

Which series should you be paying attention to throughout May?

Take a look.

May 3-5: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants

One of the greatest rivalries will be renewed to kick off the month of May when the Los Angeles Angels make the trip to AT&T Park to play the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants took two out of three from Los Angeles in their first series of the 2013 season, and a stretch of injuries to starting pitchers Zack Greinke and Chris Capuano has L.A.'s pitching staff in a vulnerable position.

With both clubs looking to move up in the NL West, this series will set the tone for both of these clubs as May begins.

The Giants finished the 2012 season eight games ahead of the Dodgers in the division and went on to win the World Series over the Detroit Tigers.

May 7-8: Detroit Tigers at Washington Nationals

In what I have pegged as the 2013 World Series matchup, the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals will meet in a two-game series at Nationals Park.

Detroit's starting pitching, which has posted a 3.27 ERA and 13 wins, will have its hands full trying to pitch around Bryce Harper. Harper leads the Nationals in practically every statistical category, batting .356 with nine homers and 18 RBI.

With Stephen Strasburg and the rest of the Nationals' starting arms off to somewhat of a slow start, facing a lineup that includes Prince Fielder and reigning triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera won't be an easy task as Detroit's lineup owns the best batting average in baseball.

May 9-11: Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants

Off to a scorching start, the 16-9 Atlanta Braves will match up with the defending World Series champs when they travel to San Francisco to face the Giants.

The Giants' rotation will draw the tough task of pitching to Justin Upton, who has been an absolute stud to start the 2013 campaign, jacking 12 homers and driving in 19 runs.

The Braves are much better at home (7-2) than they are on the road (9-7), but have looked like a playoff team thus far, making this one of the most intriguing series to watch in May.

May 20-22: New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles

Divisional foes will clash in May, when the New York Yankees travel to Camden Yards to play the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore and New York had some epic games last season and they spilled over into the postseason, where the Yankees edged the Orioles in the five-game playoff series last season.

The Yankees already took two out of three from the O's in mid-April, but this will mark the Bronx Bombers' first trip to Baltimore this season.

With these two clubs likely to be in the running for the AL East division crown come the end of September, this is undoubtedly a series to pay attention to.

May 20-22: Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers

This will be the first meeting between the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers since the A's stole the division from the Rangers by sweeping Texas in the final series of the 2012 regular season.

Although Oakland went on to lose to Detroit in the playoffs, the small-market Athletics made a significant jump in baseball by ousting Josh Hamilton and the mighty Rangers.

The Athletics currently trail the Rangers by two games in the division, and while we can't predict what the standings will look like in three weeks, I'm willing to bet they're close and that this series will impact the race.

May 20-22: Washington Nationals at San Francisco Giants

Washington will get the defending World Series champs when the Nationals travel to San Francisco to play the Giants.

Fortunately for the road team, the Nationals had great success against San Francisco last season, going 5-1 and outscoring the Giants, 45-24.

The Giants' starters are off to somewhat of a poor start in 2013, and that doesn't bode well against a Washington lineup that includes a scorching Bryce Harper.

Both of these teams should be expected to finish near the top of their respected divisions, making this some of the best baseball that fans will see during the month of May.

May 27-30: Baltimore Orioles at Washington Nationals

Known as "The Beltway Series," the Baltimore Orioles vs. the Washington Nationals has developed into quite the rivalry over the past few seasons.

It's no secret that Baltimore owner Peter Angelos wasn't a fan of the Nationals moving into his franchise's territory since the Expos became the Nationals. The two teams have consistently put together competitive series, with the Orioles owning a 23-19 advantage over Washington.

The Orioles went 4-2 against Washington last season, and with both of these teams being playoff clubs a season ago, fans should be ready to see some great baseball, especially if Stephen Strasburg pitches before the home crowd. 

May 27-30: New York Yankees at New York Mets

No matter the standings, it's always interesting when the New York Yankees and Mets get together for their Subway Series.

The Bronx Bombers have dominated the series since 2000, posting a 47-31 record against the Mets, including 5-1 last season. 

What will make this an extremely intriguing matchup is if the rotations match up so that Matt Harvey can take his 4-0 record and 1.56 ERA against the Yankees.

With Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira potentially coming back before this series takes off, the Yanks could be much stronger and build upon their current second-place standing in the AL East.

May 27-30: Los Angeles Angels at Los Angeles Dodgers

It doesn't get much better than L.A. vs. L.A. to close out the month of May.

Both teams have struggled out of the gate, but if you don't like the idea of 2011 NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw vs. an Angels' lineup that has the potential to be one of the best in the MLB, you're not a true baseball fan.

If Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout start to figure things out, the Dodgers' depleted rotation will have its hands full.

Then again, if Matt Kemp gets hot, the Angels could be in trouble if Jered Weaver hasn't returned from the DL yet.

May 31-June 2: Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees

Arguably the best rivalry in all of sports, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will renew their rivalry when the Sox come to the Bronx for a three-game series.

Boston took two out of three from New York in the series opener for both clubs, but the Yanks dominated the Red Sox in 2012, going 13-5 and outscoring Boston, 116-70.

The Red Sox currently sit atop the AL East, but with the Yankees only three games behind, the division could look a lot different when this series begins in a month.

Baseball fans should be prepared for long games and plenty of action when this series starts on May 31.

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