MLB.com

By Mark Newman / MLB.com

Victor Zambrano faces Victor Santos on Wednesday, and to the victor of that game go the spoils of Wild Card survival. It will mark the Mets debut for the former, and he will match up against a rising Brewer star, and like seemingly every game on the MLB.TV docket this week, it will come with some kind of playoff race punch.

The Yankees will roll out Esteban Loaiza in a huge series at home against Oakland, one which will also see New York attempt to keep Mark Mulder winless in three regular-season Yankee Stadium starts. Randy Johnson, who did not get traded to the Yankees or anyone else, will face the Marlins, who he has owned this season.

Can Roger Clemens beat the Braves for the first time in his career -- in a crucial game against red-hot Russ Ortiz? Can it get any better for Steve Finley than going from last to first in the NL West -- and jumping into a big series against the Phillies? Update your rosters, replace those outdated jerseys, and follow the MLB.TV Games of the Week (all times ET):

Monday: Red Sox at Rays, 7:15 p.m.
This week begins with Don Zimmer Mini-Bobblehead Night at Tropicana Field, and even though Pedro Martinez is not on the mound for Boston, an MLB.TV viewer can't help but feel a chill of October in the August air. Maybe someone will hand Pedro a Zimhead as he watches teammate Tim Wakefield try to improve on his 4-0 career record at The Trop. This series also will be a chance to see two former Gold Glove winners in Boston's new-look infield: Orlando Cabrera at short and Doug Mientkiewicz at first.

Tuesday: A's at Yankees, 7:05 p.m.
It is hard to picture either of these clubs not playing in October, and unless they meet again in the playoffs, this series will be the last between these two teams this season. Yankee fans can thank the A's for getting their team well earlier this season. Remember? The Club That Had Everything started 2004 abysmally, only to start rolling once it beat Zito-Mulder-Hudson in succession at Yankee Stadium. Then it won against the Big Three in succession again in Oakland. But Mulder has been practically unbeatable since then, and he will try to continue on his present Cy Young course in the series opener.

Braves at Astros, 8:05 p.m.
Ortiz (12-6) opposes Clemens (12-3) in a battle of two possible 20-game winners. For Clemens, this game will mark his final start as a 41-year-old; Aug. 4 is his 42nd birthday. Ortiz is 6-0 in his last seven starts, dominating the way Clemens did earlier this season. The Braves are threatening to run away with yet another division title, and this game will be a big test for an Astros club that has started to live up to its billing -- and a good time for the Rocket to best the Braves for the first time in his career.

Wednesday: Angels at Twins, 8:10 p.m.
If the Angels meet the Twins in October, the lineups will look a little different -- but they would still bring back plenty of memories of the 2002 AL Championship Series, which sent Anaheim on its way to Rally Monkey nirvana. The teams will look a little different than April 29-May 1, the last time they met at the Met. MLB.TV is a good way to get a look at the Twins' new first baseman, Justin Morneau, who had hit safely in 15 of his first 20 games -- with five homers -- to help Minnesota start marching. Vlad Guerrero was 4-for-9 in Anaheim's last visit to the Met, his first as an AL player.

Mets at Brewers, 2:05 p.m.
The newest Zambrano in the NL East makes his Mets debut after coming over from Tampa Bay. During the third or fourth inning of this game, click the MLB.TV menu and jump over to the Cubs-Rockies game in Denver at 3:05 p.m. to see if the old Mark Prior is finally back. He served up a career-worst four homers in his last outing, and Coors Field doesn't exactly keep those balls in the park.

Thursday: Marlins at Diamondbacks, 5:05 p.m.
"I'll just continue to bust my butt and go out there and try to win some ballgames," Johnson said after the non-waiver trading deadline passed with him still wearing snakeskins. This outing will be his first in a while unclouded by trade rumors, and he historically feasts on the Marlins. Johnson won his only previous outing against Florida this season -- and for those wondering, new Marlin Paul LoDuca is 13-for-49 (.265) with one homer and 10 RBIs against the Major League strikeout leader.

Friday: Cubs at Giants, 10:15 p.m.
Take a good look at Garciaparra in his new duds. Does his new No. 8 jersey come with a curse, too? He has to hope not. The Cubs' new shortstop actually just made his first-ever visit to SBC Park on June 18, and he tripled on the first pitch he saw -- then went 0-for-8 in his remaining at-bats. MLB.TV viewers also can get a look at Ricky Ledee, traded from the Phillies for Felix Rodriguez, in a Giants jersey.

Saturday: Indians at White Sox, 7:05 p.m.
FOX will have Greg Maddux's latest bid for career victory No. 300, but you can find just about everything else on MLB.TV. Freddy Garcia, one of the biggest fish landed on the trade market, finally found some run support and evened his record (9-9) when he helped Chicago end their long losing streak last Sunday. Was that skid a fatal one for the Sox this season? The next two months will tell, and Garcia and his teammates will have to deal with a surprising Indians club that has its own postseason designs.

Sunday: Phillies at Dodgers, 4:10 p.m.
Perhaps no one was more pleased by all of the trade fallout than Finley, who went from the bottom of the standings to the top in an NL West heartbeat. Now he patrols center field for a Dodger team that has gone through a Laker-like shakeup, and this club's ability to retain its great chemistry down the stretch will be key. MLB.TV viewers can also see Brad Penny, who was to make his Dodger debut Tuesday following his trade from Florida. For the Phillies, Sunday's contest closes a tough West Coast swing that figures to speak volumes about their chances for the long haul.

Mark Newman is enterprise editor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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