The Washington Nationals bid for their first victory in eight days on Monday when they open a three-game series against the visiting San Diego Padres. The Nationals (24-21) had won 13 of 15 before seeing one game suspended and two more postponed due to Mother Nature, then getting unceremoniously swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game series Monday, an interesting matchup of two rebuilding teams that have accelerated their timetable with strong starts in 2018. The first-place Braves lead the Phillies by 1 1/2 games in the National League East, and while division titles are not won in May, the way both teams have pitched this season is a big reason why they could contend deep into the summer.

The New York Mets are riding high after the first sweep of at least three games at Citi Field in two years while the Miami Marlins are down in the dumps after squandering a six-run lead in their series finale versus Atlanta. The Mets (23-19) hope to continue their good fortune on Monday when they open a three-game home series versus the Marlins (17-29), against whom they outscored 16-9 in a three-game sweep from April 9-11.

The Arizona Diamondbacks hope to ignite their dormant offense as they continue a nine-game road trip Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a three-game series between a pair of National League division leaders. The Diamondbacks have lost four in a row and 10 of their last 11 contests, managing just 22 runs in that stretch, to see their lead over Colorado in the NL West shrink to one-half game.

The New York Yankees, who lead the major leagues in runs scored and also own the best record (30-13), look to feast on another struggling team when they visit the Texas Rangers on Monday for the opener of their three-game series. The Yankees posted 18 runs over the weekend to win the final two games of a three-game set against Kansas City (14-32) and prepare to play Rangers (18-30), who reside in the American League West cellar.

If nothing else, the Chicago White Sox have proven they have the ability to beat up on last-place teams in the American League in what has been an otherwise forgettable season. The White Sox take on the one AL cellar-dweller they have yet to face Monday, when they host the opener of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Minnesota Twins have won only one of their first five full series at Target Field this season but hope to double that total when they begin a three-game set against the visiting Detroit Tigers on Monday. Minnesota, which had two series in the Gopher State abbreviated by inclement weather last month, won two of three against Houston from April 9-11 but proceeded to go 0-3-1 in its next four home sets.

The St. Louis Cardinals attempt to take advantage of a team in an even deeper funk when they host the Kansas City Royals on Monday for the opener of their I-70 Series. St. Louis has gone 0-1-3 in four sets since sweeping two- and three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox and Cubs, respectively, to begin the month.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were headed nowhere fast less than a week ago, but somewhere along the way on their trip to the East Coast, they became the hottest team in the National League. Los Angeles sets its sights on a season-high fifth straight victory Monday, when it returns home to face the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game series.