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Patriots (6-4) vs. Riders (5-3) - 8:30 a.m.    @St. Mary's

The Pats and Riders are two of the top teams in the Bronx/Manhattan Division, so this one could be a precursor to an eventual playoff series down the line. Both teams have had their struggles thus far (The Riders were swept by the NY Tigers a few weeks ago, while the Patriots haven’t been able to put together a double-header sweep since March 25) but both are surely among the more talented teams in the league.

A Facebook Live post from Riders’ skipper Juan Ramos seems to imply the Riders could be short-handed in the pitching department this weekend, which could be a problem for the reigning champs. If the information is to be believed, the Riders could be without both Tony Zagoras and Alex Gounaris, who have started all but one game for the ballclub so far. If that’s the case, the Pats’ bats may look to add to their already gaudy home run totals. Anderson Castillo, Carlos Florentino and Anthony Santos are all tied (with Riders’ third baseman Mike Suero) for the league lead in homers with two apiece.

Indians (4-5-1) vs. Expos (0-8) - 8:30 a.m.    @Canarsie

Don’t let the record fool you, the Expos are better than they let on. Last week, the second-year club nearly pulled out a win against 2017 MVP Corry Harper’s Tigers, taking the second-place ball club to extra innings in a 13-9 loss. They got a big day from pitcher Bryant Fuentes, who drove in three runs, and from Jared Bayer, who smacked a two-run homer in the 8th inning.

The Indians are coming off one of their best outings of the year, a double-header sweep of the Diamondbacks. Roberto Mendino threw a spectacular game in a 7-1 win, striking out 15 batters and allowing just one hit. He looks to be an early Cy Young contender, as the owner of a 1.90 ERA.

Diamondbacks (2-7-1) vs. Cardinals (1-7) – 9 a.m.    @Field of Dreams

Both teams need a win badly, so something has to give this weekend when the Diamondbacks travel to the Bronx to take on the Cards. The D-Backs nearly pulled a win out over the surging Indians in their last outing, but errors – which have been the team’s bugaboo all season – cost them dearly. If Showtime can revert back to his former ace status, however, look for the D-Backs to make a push as the weather heats up.

The Cards, on the other hand, are coming off five straight losses, their last win coming in an April 8 split with the Bulls. The can take some solace in their tough showing against the Bats, however, as the red-hot Gotham City club was only able to come away with a 4-2 win against them. Catcher Chris Cordero has been a bright spot, hitting .400 through five games.

Mud Hens (8-0) vs. Giants (1-5) – 9 a.m.    @Elmjack

The Hens have gotten off to as good a start as anyone else in the league, and they’ll look to keep that hot streak going in May. The Hens’ pitching staff has been dominant, currently possessing a team-wide 0.84 ERA, so if they can get the kind of mound performance they’ve been getting, they have a chance to win any ballgame they’re in.

The Giants may only have one win thus far, but they’ve competed with just about anyone that’s been put in front of them, making them a dangerous opponent. Most recently, the Giants hung tough with the Tigers, dropping a 5-4 ballgame to the second place club. Anthony Torres and Adrian Azcona give them a formidable 1-2 punch on the mound, having logged the lion’s share of the innings thus far.

Tigers (8-2) vs. Bats (7-3) - 9 a.m.    @Baisley

You won’t find two hotter teams in the league at the moment, as the Tigers and Bats have pulled of win streaks of eight and seven, respectively. The Bats started slow, but as everyone expected, they’ve put together an impressive run and established themselves as one of the most well-balanced teams in the league. On the other side, the Tigers have suffered a few scares (notably against the Giants and Expos) but keep finding ways to win ballgames.

This double-header may well feature a matchup of two of the more dominant lefties in the MABL, as we might see reigning Cy Young Greg Polius square off against Bats’ ace Brett Lisle. Both southpaws have been phenomenal in the early goings, with Lisle posting a 1.07 ERA and Polius pitching to the tune of a 0.93. If those two meet, expect a low-scoring game with the team that manages to get the big hit coming out on top.

Beers (3-7) vs. Downtown Bulls (3-7) - 12:30 p.m.    @Clemente

This may just be the best battle of 3-7 teams you’ll see. Both the Bulls and Beers have been playing with confidence as of late, as the two squads are eager to shake off a rough start as we head into May.

Last week, the Beers swept the NY Tigers, putting together their best offensive performance of the year. In two games, the Beers tagged their opponents for 17 runs, marking a noted shift in the perennial pitching-deep team’s approach. Devin Warner has been a stud in limited playing time, and is hitting .714 in the three games in which he’s appeared. If the Beers can get more out of the switch-hitting slugger, they may be able to bash even more teams into submission.

The Bulls beat Pats’ manager Snoop Ferreira last week, in a game that could be termed “death by a thousand cuts.” Despite getting only one extra base hit, the Bulls racked up 10 singles to chase Ferreira in the third inning. They also played flawless defense to keep the potent Pats’ lineup at bay.

Mustangs (3-3) vs. Mariners (6-2) - 1:30 p.m.    @Old Boys

The Mustangs are likely coming into this one with designs on beating the team that ended their season a year ago. Playing against the last-seeded Mariners in the one-game play-in, the Mustangs were soundly drubbed by a rejuvenated San Pedro squad which has been playing quite well as of late and comes into this meeting as one of the top teams in the division.

The Mustangs’ schedule has been hampered somewhat by inclement weather, and they are still trying to find their footing in 2018. After an early season split with the Indians, the ‘Stangs were swept by a good Blue Jays team before hanging two losses on the winless Expos. German Polanco has been a force thus far, batting .455 on the season.

The Mariners have played good, loose baseball to this point and are light-years ahead of where they were at this point in the season last year. Christopher Vasquez has been a driving force in the team’s resurgence, as the outfielder is currently hitting at a .474 clip.

NY Tigers (5-5) vs. Blue Jays (8-2) - 2:30 p.m.    @St. Mary's

The Jays may be the best team in the MABL right now, but none of that matters this week. Any time the Tigers and Jays square off, fans are in for a good old-fashioned grudge-match.

Years ago, many members of the Tigers and Blue Jays played on the same squad, so expect that rivalry to simmer just underneath the surface as both clubs will be angling for bragging rights. So far, the Jays have rode an explosive offense and solid pitching to a division-best record while the Tigers – who were matching them step for step – recently suffered a sweep at the hands of the Beers, so look for them to try to get back on the right foot against their arch-rivals.