Biggest questions for each MLB wild-card series: What to look for in Red Sox-Yankees, Cubs-Padres and more

After another marathon MLB regular season, the playoffs begin on Tuesday with all four wild-card series.

From a pair of divisional battles to potential fireworks in San Diego, we take a look ahead by posing one key question in each series that could help decide who advances.

Do Philadelphia Phillies have answers for struggles against Atlanta Braves?

For the third time in five seasons, the Phillies (88-74) and Braves (94-68) meet in the postseason. Philadelphia won the two previous NLDS matchups, but based on the regular season, this could be the year Atlanta sends its division rival home.

The Braves won the regular-season series, 9-4, including taking the first two games of the last meeting from Sep. 11-13. Overall, Atlanta outscored Philadelphia, 66-43. The Braves slashed .263/.331/.430, while the Phils produced an ugly .218/.280/.363 slash line.

The Phillies' struggles at the plate continued over the final month of the season. According to FanGraphs, Philadelphia scored an NL-low 89 runs over their final 24 games (3.7 runs per game)

With Braves ace Chris Sale set to take the mound in Game 1 of the wild-card series, the Phillies have a brutal matchup as they attempt to break out of the slump.

How do Houston Astros batters fare against lefties?

Left-handers threw 534.2 innings for the Chicago White Sox (84-78), Houston's wild-card opponent, the seventh-most innings by southpaws this season. (h/t FanGraphs)

In Game 1's bullpen game, lefty Hagen Smith, who has a 1.29 ERA, will start for the White Sox, which could be a major advantage for Chicago. During the regular season, Houston hit just .238 against left-handed pitchers with 50 home runs, producing a .404 slugging percentage. Against righties, the Astros (81-81) ranked third in slugging (.422) while blasting a major-league-leading 176 home runs.

Can Payton Tolle go toe-to-toe with Cam Schlittler?

The best rivalry in baseball adds another chapter when the Boston Red Sox (87-75) travel to the New York Yankees (93-68).

New York is set up well in the opener with Schlittler, the AL's leading Cy Young candidate, scheduled to start. He went 14-6 with a 1.95 earned run average this season. Schlittler was even more dominant in four starts against the Red Sox, recording a 0.74 ERA while allowing two earned runs with 27 strikeouts in 24.1 innings.

That sets Tolle, one of the league's breakout pitchers, up for a highly pressurized start. Before the series began, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy discussed his belief in the second-year pro after he made 26 starts and posted a 3.03 ERA in 148.2 regular-season innings.

"We are pretty confident in who he is as a pitcher and what he brings to the table regardless of who he is facing," Tracy said.

Tolle is also embracing the moment

"It's what you play for, especially just for the magnitude of the game," Tolle said. "To be in this spot now, we've gone through a lot, and I'm just super excited to get out there tomorrow."

Which red-hot Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres offense keeps up the pace?

Per FanGraphs, the Cubs (89-73) and Padres (91-71) have the majors' best offense. San Diego is hitting an MLB-high .270 during the second half of the season, while the Cubs have a league-leading 366 runs.

Chicago owned the regular-season series, 5-1, while averaging a staggering 9.2 runs per game. It scored at least seven runs in four of the six meetings, including 23 runs in the most recent game on July 1.