Dodgers Mets Game One Preview

The Dodgers return home to open a tough homestand against past playoff foes.

The Dodgers have undoubtably been underwhelming and baseball has honestly seemed like a chore for the last couple weeks. At the same time, the Dodgers are still at the top of the NL West (percentage points ahead of the Giants, who have played two more games than the Dodgers have) and are coming off an impressive winning roadtrip.

The fashion in which the Dodgers won on the road wasn’t overly impressive, although they had a complete performance on Saturday and a great comeback win on Sunday. The last homestand was a disaster, but the Dodgers went on the road (where they struggled hard last year, especially early on) and split a two-game set in Tampa and won two of three in Toronto. Not an easy roadtrip by any means, especially considering the distance travelled, but they came out on top.

The Dodgers have struggled at home and have their work cut out for them in this upcoming series. The Mets have been very good this season, and their pitching keeps them in every game. Steven Matz gets the ball tonight and has the fourth-highest ERA in their rotation, at 2.83. He has the second-lowest FIP on the team, so basically the Mets pitching is ridiculous.

Matz had an awful start to the season, as he gave up seven runs in one 2/3 innings in his first start against Miami. Since then, Matz has gone at least six in every start and has give up two runs COMBINED, both coming against the Braves.

Their offense has also been good early on, led by Yoenis Cespedes, who has continues his hot finish last season. Michael Conforto and Asdrubal Cabrera are also hitting over .290, and only two of their regular starters have fewer than four homers. The Mets have scored 35 runs in Matz’s last four starts, so not only is he pitching well, but he’s getting plenty of run support to allow him to pitch without pressure.

Scott Kazmir gets the ball for the Dodgers and is coming off his second win of the season. Kazmir pitched decently against his former team in Tampa, but gave up homers in the fourth and fifth to turn a great outing into a decent one. He’s been underwhelming so far, but could begin to win over fans with a solid outing tonight.

A nearly entirely righty lineup with the lefty Matz on the hill. The Joc Pederson/Trayce Thompson platoon continues, and Corey Seager gets a day off with righties coming up on the schedule. Chase Utley, who has been a godsend, also sits.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PST and will be shown on Sportsnet LA.