On deck: All eyes on Chicago as Cubs and White Sox battle

Buckle up, Windy City. It's time for the Cubs and White Sox to battle for bragging rights in Chicago again.

The crosstown series between the two Chicago rivals has extra meaning this season as both teams still have work to do to make sure they reach the postseason.

White Sox visit Cubs at Wrigley Field

The White Sox hold a 2-1 edge in the rivalry this season, barely outscoring the Cubs 22-21 in a mid-May series on the South Side that was dominated by offense.

A lot has changed since that series, including the very real possibility that the White Sox will win the American League Central. FanGraphs has the South Siders with a 61.9 percent chance to win the division and a 38.1 chance to claim a first-round bye in the postseason.

Of course, playing well at Wrigley Field will not only help the White Sox toward that goal but also give the South Side bragging rights heading into the offseason.

The Cubs, meanwhile, lost two of three this weekend at home to their other rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs, holding the top National League wild-card spot, will be looking to stop the bleeding before heading west to face the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Blue Jays and Rays finish up season series at The Trop

For the Toronto Blue Jays, its not about winning the AL East but rather surprising those who thought they were cooked at the MLB trade deadline.

The Blue Jays are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have an off day before starting a three-game series in St. Petersburg against the Rays. However, as hot as they have been lately, Tampa Bay has had Toronto's number this season, winning eight of the 10 matchups against them. That includes the Rays sweeping them at home in early May, allowing the Blue Jays to just score four runs over three games.

Tampa Bay needs this series to maintain a comfortable lead in the AL East while the Blue Jays need it to keep their wild-card hopes alive. There will be plenty of AL teams watching the result of this matchup in Florida.

San Diego Padres take on Minnesota Twins

On the surface, this matchup may not have the allure of the two mentioned above. However, for both the Padres and Twins, a three-game weekend set at Petco Park to start the week carries big wild-card implications for both teams.

Minnesota starts Monday just 1.5 games out of an AL wild-card spot, but has two big series coming up this week at home against the Atlanta Braves before heading to San Diego. The Twins are just 4-10 in August, however, so this week could determine if Minnesota stays in the wild-card conversation or not.

As cold as Minnesota has been, however, San Diego has been on the opposite extreme and finding its stride. After their rain-delayed win on Sunday in Cleveland, the Padres are 11-4 in August and have increased their postseason odds significantly.

On Aug. 1, FanGraphs gave San Diego a 25.6 percent chance to clinch a wild card. On Sunday, that number jumped to 52.3 percent. Playing well against Minnesota will only keep those chances on an upward trajectory.