The Los Angeles Dodgers host the New York Mets in the second game of their four-game series on Friday night from Dodger Stadium in California. This weekend’s series is a tale of two teams going in the opposite direction. The Mets have seen the bottom fall out of their season, while the Dodgers continue to creep closer and closer towards the Giants in the NL West as they seek to avoid the Wild Card game.
Friday, August 20, 2021 – 10:10 PM EDT at Dodger Stadium
The West Coast trip is slowly adding up for the Mets though after just finishing a series in San Francisco. The two teams have met three times on the season, with the Dodgers taking a three-game sweep in New York just last weekend. That series was closer than it looks though, with the Dodgers winning two of those games in extra innings. According to top sportsbooks, if the Mets want a shot at the playoffs, they know it starts with this series against the Dodgers, though one of baseball’s best teams surely won’t just roll over at home on any night.
The Mets have picked up a little more of late but it hasn’t done much to overcome how bad the start of the month was for the one-time NL East leaders. After leading the division from the start of the season through much of the summer, the Mets now find themselves in third-place, 4.5 games back of the Braves and 5.5 games back in the Wild Card race. The Giants series saw the Mets at least salvage a win in the series finale but after getting swept by the Dodgers last weekend, will need to be sharp on the road on Friday. The injury list is lengthy for the Mets, with Pete Alonso (elbow) and James McCann (back) both questionable for the weekend slate of games. Beyond those two, Noah Syndergaard (elbow), Francisco Lindor (oblique), Jacob deGrom (forearm), Robinson Cano (suspension), and Javier Baez (back) all remain out for the foreseeable future.
The offense has never been the strongest for the Mets this year but once the pitching dropped off, the lack of run support quickly rose to the forefront. They rank 28th in baseball in runs per game and hits per game while ranking 26th in home runs per game and their top statistic is batting average, ranking 24th. Michael Conforto has led the way with a .367 average over the last week, with Jonathan Villar right behind him at .345. The long ball has improved as well but without Alonso, it might be a different way that the Dodgers can attack this lineup. Expect the experienced New York lineup to try to work counts into their favor but with the big bats struggling to get in the lineup, let alone make a difference consistently, it might be tough for them to keep pace with Los Angeles. Take it into consideration for your MLB picks.
According to MLB.com, Carlos Carrasco will get the starts for the Met. The righty enters with an 0-1 record and 10.32 ERA in only four starts this season and 11.1 innings of work. Just a few years removed from being one of the better pitchers in the American League for the Indians, Carrasco, like the whole team, is looking for that spark to change things. It’s also not a great sign that his lone loss on the season came to the Dodgers. In his last start, he lasted only two innings against the Dodgers, allowing six hits, six runs, and three home runs. If he can’t last long on Friday, the Mets won’t only not stand a chance on Friday, but the weekend as a whole as the bullpen gets blown open.
The Dodgers remain one of the few serious candidates for the World Series title but as of now, they remain only second in their own division. The Giants continue to stay just ahead of Los Angeles, but if the Dodgers can continue to stay close, it’ll add to the pressure the Giants feel once September rolls around. The Dodgers are 9-1 in their last ten games and things finally seem to be clicking for a team that looked like they had a World Series hangover for much of the season. Much like the Mets, the Dodgers have a lengthy list of injuries themselves. Mookie Betts (hip) remains out as the only key positional player unable to give it a go, but the pitching staff is another story. Trevor Bauer (personal), Tony Gonsolin (shoulder), Cole Hamels (arm), Joe Kelly (COVID), Clayton Kershaw (forearm), and Dustin May (elbow), all remain out, even though it doesn’t seem to be impacting the Dodgers of late. It also won’t be as daunting with an offense as weak as New York’s coming to town.
With only Betts out for the Dodgers, the offense seems primed to continue to find consistency together by the time the playoffs roll around. They already rank near the top of baseball in nearly every offensive statistic and that is a massive advantage over the Mets. They rank third in runs per game, 11th in batting average, seventh in hits per game, and fourth in home runs per game. Max Muncy and Justin Turner continue to have incredible seasons and the lineup as a whole are all flirting with .300 over the last week. The only weak point seems to be Cody Bellinger, which is surprising given how strong he looked to start the month. Over the week, Muncy has an insane five home runs and .364 average and as long as he has that type of production, the Dodgers will remain thought to beat. Add in another three home runs from Will Smith and 13 home runs total for the team in the last week, has the Mets looking at an offense that they will seriously struggle to keep up with.
According to MLB.com, Walker Buehler will get the start for the Dodgers on Friday night as he looks to improve his Cy Young outlook. Buehler enters with a 12-2 record and 2.09 ERA in 24 starts. His win percentage is tops in baseball, as is his ERA. He started against the Mets just last weekend, going seven innings, allowing four hits and one hit, striking out ten. If he’s anywhere close to as efficient on Friday, the Mets offense will have a long night on their hands. Take it into consideration for your MLB odds.
The Dodgers proved last weekend that the Mets don’t stand a chance against one of baseball’s best teams and that won’t change this weekend as they flip coasts. The Dodgers have the advantage in nearly every aspect of Friday’s game. From a pitching standpoint, Buehler has been dominant all season, let alone last weekend against the Mets. For the Mets, Carrasco was shelled against the Dodgers last weekend and it’ll be more of the same on Friday night in the second game of the series. Los Angeles’ lineup is one of the best in baseball and won’t struggle to score runs with an array of All-Stars and MVO candidates in their back pocket. For the Mets, even if Carrasco keeps it close, there’s no faith that they’ll have the offense to change things and keep pace with the Dodgers as they take down the Mets for the fourth straight time.
Free MLB Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (-120) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
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