Despite an offensive outage, the Chicago Cubs still have a chance to salvage a split of their four-game series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. The first-place Cubs have totaled only four runs in the first three games of the series, and they might need a little more punch from the lineup to beat the Diamondbacks for a second straight game. 

Mike Trout is coming off a show-stopping performance and he'll try to inflict further damage when the Los Angeles Angels close a four-game series against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Trout went 3-for-4 with two homers, one double, four RBIs and three runs scored in Wednesday's 11-3 victory to put Los Angeles in position to split the four-game set.

The New York Yankees have been playing .500 ball for just over the past month but they have a chance to get on a roll when they open a six-game homestand against the worst two teams in the major leagues. Reliever Zach Britton, acquired in a trade Tuesday, will be in uniform when New York begins a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night.

The Tampa Bay Rays took two of three at home against one of baseball’s best teams to start the week and hope to take care of business on the road when they visit the major league-worst Baltimore Orioles on Thursday for the opener of their four-game series. The Rays edged the New York Yankees 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon - hours after announcing the trade of scheduled starter Nathan Eovaldi -  for their third win in four contests.

Although they had a number of winning streaks snapped in the finale of a three-game set in Cleveland on Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates resume their drive for a wild-card berth when they open a nine-game homestand with the first of four against the New York Mets on Thursday night. Pittsburgh had ripped off 11 straight wins before dropping a 4-0 decision to the Indians on Wednesday.

The Minnesota Twins look for their 13th victory in 18 games when they open a four-game series against the host Boston Red Sox on Thursday. The Twins arrive with momentum after outscoring the Blue Jays 25-9 en route to their first sweep in Toronto since April 11-13, 2003.

Rhys Hoskins has gotten into the swing of things after raising some eyebrows in the Home Run Derby. After going deep in four of his last five contests, Hoskins hopes to continue his good fortune on Thursday as the Philadelphia Phillies (57-44) begin a six-game road trip with the opener of a four-game series versus the Cincinnati Reds (45-57).

The Washington Nationals haven't had as much good news as they would've liked this season, as the National League East preseason favorites find themselves a game under .500 and staring up at a pair of upstarts in the division. Their current troubles aside, the Nationals (50-51) can take solace in knowing that Stephen Strasburg takes the mound for Thursday's opener of a four-game series versus the host Miami Marlins (44-59).

Max Muncy hit just five home runs in his first 215 major-league at-bats, which makes what the Los Angeles Dodgers infielder is doing this season all the more remarkable entering Thursday's opener of a four-game road series against the Atlanta Braves. Muncy belted his 24th shot in 250 at-bats this year in Wednesday’s 7-3 loss at Philadelphia and is just one shy of the National League lead as the Dodgers arrive in Atlanta holding a one-half game lead over Arizona in the NL West.

The streaking Oakland Athletics have had no trouble overcoming deficits lately, regardless of the size or time in the game. Oakland, which has posted back-to-back comeback victories, looks to complete a four-game sweep when it visits the Texas Rangers for the finale of their series on Thursday.

The Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants cannot afford to be spinning their wheels but that is what they have done coming out of the All-Star break as they begin a four-game series Thursday in California. The stakes are a bit higher for San Francisco, which sits 4 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot with four teams to pass in the crowded National League playoff race after a 3-2 loss at Seattle on Wednesday gave it three setbacks in its last four contests.