The Mets and Dodgers have faced off several times in recent years. I’m mostly thinking about bidding wars for free agents they’re both interested in. That plot will thicken even more once next winter rolls around.
For now, the battle will happen between the lines. New York is coming off its first sweep of the year after beating the Athletics in three straight. Overall, the Amazins have won four in a row and look to stay perfect on this west coast road trip. Los Angeles enters this head-to-head matchup with an 8-8 record.
Here’s what the probable pitching matchups look like at the moment.
Monday at 10:10 p.m. ET: David Peterson vs. Dustin May
Overall, David Peterson bounced back against the Padres after getting lit up by the Brewers. The southpaw lasted 5.2 innings and struck out six hitters, both of which were season-high marks. He also walked two while allowing six hits and two runs but still took his second loss of the year.
This will be his second career start vs. the Dodgers. Peterson’s first one was weird — he lasted 3.2 innings and allowed four runs, but only one was earned. He also walked four while striking out six.
Dustin May has looked excellent through his first 18.1 frames. The right-hander has twirled a 1.47 ERA and 0.76 WHIP with 12 strikeouts. New York has barely seen him — he’s thrown just one inning against the Mets. So, the Amazins will likely have their hands full.
Tuesday at 10:10 p.m. ET: Tylor Megill vs. Clayton Kershaw
Tylor Megill wasn’t even supposed to be here. Justin Verlander’s trip to the injured list forced the Mets to recall him from Triple-A. All he’s done is rack up three wins with a 2.25 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 16 innings. The man they call Big Drip will hope for a slightly better outing against L.A. this time around. His first start against the Dodgers included three runs allowed on six hits, one walk, and six strikeouts in five innings.
Clayton Kershaw is off to a pretty typical start (3.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 17 strikeouts in 18 innings). Facing him will also be a tall order for Mets hitters. Kershaw has made 16 career starts against New York since debuting in 2008. He’s 10-0 with a 2.17 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts in 103.2 innings.
Wednesday at 3:10 p.m. ET: Max Scherzer vs. Noah Syndergaard
Max Scherzer was supposed to pitch Sunday’s finale in Oakland, but his start was pushed to Wednesday because of lingering back soreness. You’d have to hope this is more of a precautionary thing since it’s still early in the year. However, this is the kind of stuff people worry about with him (38 years old) and Verlander (40 years old) leading the rotation.
And then, there’s Noah Syndergaard. He successfully dodged having to pitch against the Mets not once, but twice last season. Unless something drastic happens, they’re finally on a collision course. Things haven’t gone great for Thor through his first 16 innings. He’s allowed 10 runs on 18 hits (three homers) with 17 strikeouts and two walks for the Dodgers.
His average fastball velocity has continued a downward trend, as well. It was 97.9 mph in 2019, followed by 94.4 and 94.5 mph in 2021 and 2022, respectively. So far this season, it’s down at 92.7 mph.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
