10 Key MLB Series to Pay Attention To in June

As Major League Baseball enters its third month, the standings are slowly taking shape.

With two months behind us, June is shaping up to be an important time for teams looking to make a move in the standings.

Regardless of where they're currently at, only a handful of teams are truly out of the playoff race.

With that said, here's a look at 10 series that fans need to pay attention to in June.

St. Louis at Cincinnati: June 7-9

The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds will meet for one final series from June 7-9 until the beginning of August.

Both teams are expected to compete for the division title, so every game against the other counts.

St. Louis owns a 4-2 record over Cincinnati thus far and has outscored the Reds, 26-19.

It's especially important for the Reds, considering they only have seven games against teams with losing records (Cubs and Brewers). The Cardinals have a bit of an easier road with 12 games against teams with losing records.

San Francisco at Arizona: June 7-9

Two more teams at the top of the division, the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks, meet June 7-9.

San Francisco has four of the six games between the teams this year, including a three-game sweep in Arizona from April 29-May 1.

Ironically, that is one-third of San Francisco's win total on the road this year.

Patrick Corbin will get another shot at San Francisco, as he picked up a no-decision in his April 23 start.

For the Giants, the series is important, with six more games against top NL teams (Pittsburgh and Atlanta) immediately after. Arizona, on the other hand, has it easier with nine games against the Dodgers, Padres and Marlins immediately following the Giants.

Cleveland at Texas: June 10-12

Let's face it: The Cleveland Indians aren't going anywhere.

And their series with the Texas Rangers is going to give them a chance to prove they're here to stay.

The Indians have lost seven of their last 10 games, but they did that one other time this season. So, how did they respond? They won 10 of their next 11 games.

Games 10-12 of a potential streak would be against the Rangers.

Texas seems to have an easier time in the month of June with two series with the Blue Jays sandwiching the series with the Indians.

It's not a fight for divisional positioning, but it's a fight for respect for the Indians.

They will have come out of the series running the gauntlet after facing the Rays, Yankees, Tigers and Rangers. Getting out of that winning more than it lost will give Cleveland the respect it rightly deserves.

Boston at Baltimore: June 13-16

The Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles have only met in one series this year, with the Orioles winning two of three.

The teams will meet for four games here and won't meet again until the end of July.

Baltimore continues to fight for respect despite the fact that it's two games better than it was in 2012.

Boston wasn't expected to be doing this well but is currently leading the league in runs scored with 274.

While this series won't decide the fate of the division, winning three of four could go a long way in making a statement.

San Francisco at Atlanta: June 14-16

Anytime the Giants visit the Atlanta Braves, fans can only think back to 2010.

In Bobby Cox's last season, the Braves and Giants were tied 1-1 in the NLDS, and the Braves had the lead heading into the ninth of Game 3.

However, all didn't end well, as Craig Kimbrel gave up the lead, and San Francisco went on to win the game and the series.

Since then, Braves' fans have a personal vendetta against the Giants.

And after losing three of four in San Francisco earlier this year, the Braves have something to prove to the Giants.

The Braves have a relatively easy month with the Dodgers, Padres, Mets, Brewers and Royals in 17 of the month's 28 games. This weekend series will be a true test for them as they try to put distance between themselves and the Nationals.

Speaking of distance between the Braves and Nationals...

NY Mets at Atlanta: June 17-20

With a makeup of a postponed game from May 4, the Braves and New York Mets will meet for five games in mid-June.

Those five games could be just what the Braves need to put some distance between themselves and the Nationals.

The Braves have 17 games against teams with records worse than .500 during that stretch, while the Nationals have 12. That means the five games between the Braves and Mets could be a four- or five-game difference in the standings if things go Atlanta's way.

Atlanta has taken three of five games already this year.

The one thing the Braves will finally get to see is Matt Harvey, who the Braves have somehow avoided thus far.

Oakland at Texas: June 17-20

The Rangers and Oakland Athletics are going to be competing for the AL West crown once again this year. However, it won't take a collapse by the Rangers this year to give the A's a chance.

The teams have split the six games this year with Oakland taking two of three in Texas from May 20-22.

These four games will be the biggest series for both before the break.

Winning three of four will give either team an advantage heading into the second half.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: June 17-20

The Pittsburgh Pirates are still in contention and have looked good this year.

And they've had relative success this year against the Reds.

Pittsburgh swept an early-season series against the Reds and is currently in the middle of a three-game series in Cincinnati. The Reds took Friday's matchup behind eight strong innings from Johnny Cueto.

If Pittsburgh can show good in the current series and the four-game series in mid-June, then the month will be a very successful one. The Pirates have 12 games against teams with better than .500 records.

Cincinnati has a bit of a tougher month with series against the Diamondbacks, Athletics and Rangers at the end of it.

Boston at Detroit: June 20-23

The Detroit Tigers have once again shown they are one of the better teams in the AL, but Boston has been that much better.

Detroit has been beating up on teams with a record of .500 or less, picking up 17 of its wins that way. However, 14 of its losses have come against teams with records of .500 or better.

Needless to say, Detroit has a lot of work to do against some of the better teams in the league.

Boston, on the other hand, has won 16 of its 26 games against teams with records of .500 or better.

The team has been tested and has passed multiple times.

Can Detroit finally pull through?

NY Yankees at Baltimore: June 28-30

The Orioles and New York Yankees are currently behind the Red Sox, but with this series at the end of the month, it could say a lot about the rest of the season.

For the Yankees, it could lead them into the second half on a roll, as 11 of their final 14 games are against the Twins and Royals. The Orioles, however, will only get the White Sox and Blue Jays in six of the first half's final 13 games.

The teams have split their six games thus far with neither team winning by more than three runs in any game.

It may still be a month before this series kicks off, but it's one that will definitely end the month on a high note.