In the 2015 season the Mets took on the Dodgers seven times, little did they know that they would be meeting up once again in the National League Division Series. All seven meetings took place in July with the first one being a three game set during the Fourth of July weekend. Noah Syndergaard and Clayton Kershaw squared off on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. As good as Kershaw was, Syndergaard matched the former Cy Young winner with every pitch.
Kershaw was able to hold the Mets to only one run in 7.0 innings of work, allowing five hits. He did allow five hits though to a very depleted Mets offense that included the likes of John Mayberry Jr, Kevin Plawecki, and Darrell Ceciliani.
Syndergaard was just as dominant allowing only one run and two hits in 6.0 very strong innings, only allowing a solo home run to Adrian Gonzalez. That will be the Mets greatest threat to the Dodgers come Friday, even if the Dodgers pitching is as great as it has been all season, the Mets have the ability to match anything they can do. The Mets took a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth courtesy of a Kevin Plawecki sac fly off Kenly Jansen. Jeurys Familia would secure the Mets victory with his 22nd save.
The 4th of July showdown featured another top tier pitching duel when Zack Greinke went up against Matt Harvey. Greinke did what he did all season and that was dominate lineups from start to finish. He held the Mets scoreless in 7.0 innings. On the other side Harvey was extremely mediocre. This was when Harvey was going through his ‘dead arm’ period. Harvey allowed 3 runs and 7 hits in 5.0 innings.
The Mets mounted a furious comeback after Greinke left with a 4-0 lead but it just fell short as the Mets left the tying run on third and dropped game 2 of the series by a score of 4-3.
The finale and rubber game of this series was all Mets. Steven Matz dominated in his second career start allowing just 2 hits and 0 runs in 6.0 dazzling innings. Matz will start game 4 for the Mets if he can show he is over his back injury, which remains in question. The Mets got to Mike Bolsinger early and often tagging him for four runs in 5.0 innings with Wilmer Flores leading the charge with 3 RBI’s. The Mets would win this one 8-0.
At the end of the month these two met for the final time in 2015 for a four game series in Queens. The first game was all Dodgers as the Mets ran into Clayton Kershaw for the second time this season. Jimmy Rollins would hit a home run off Bartolo Colon in the third and that would be just about all they would need. Kershaw would bring a perfect game into the 7th until Curtis Granderson singled to right to lead off the inning. Kershaw would only allow two more hits in a complete game effort and a 3-0 Dodgers victory.
The Dodgers would have a field day off Jon Niese in game 2 with most of their offense coming from former Met Justin Turner who went 3-for-5 with his 13th home run. The dodgers would win 7-2 to take the first two games of the series but the Mets would be sure to return the favor on Saturday.
In game 3 of the series Matt Harvey was brilliant, holding the Dodgers to only two runs in 7.0 strong innings. Harvey though would be the least thing talked about as the Mets had their biggest offensive outpouring this season. The Mets pounded Dodgers pitcher Zach Lee in his big league debut.
It was also the Mets debut for Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe who both contributed to the victory. Rookie Michael Conforto would also get his first MLB hit and RBI in his one. Four home runs and 21 hits later the Mets had a 15 on the scoreboard and would win the game 15-2.
With the season series all knotted up at three apiece, the teams would play their most entertaining game of the season in their final meeting of the 2015 regular season. It was Jacob deGrom who will start game 1 of the NLDS for New York, against Zack Greinke who will start for the Dodgers in game 2. Greinke came into the game with a 43 and 2/3 inning scoreless streak, That streak would end when who else but Jacob deGrom singled to drive in Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
The Mets would once again be able to match Dodgers pitchers pitch for pitch. DeGrom dominated only allowing 2 hits and no runs in 7.2 innings pitched. The Mets would take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth when Greinke gave the Mets a gift, hitting Michael Conforto with the bases loaded.
The Mets would take a 2-0 lead into the top of the 9th but Jeurys Familia would continue his early second half struggles. With the Dodgers trailing 2-1 Yasmani Grandal would single home Carl Crawford to even things up at 2-2. Familia would strand Grandal on base and the Mets would have a chance to win it. In the bottom of the 10th it was the newest Met, Juan Uribe absolutely crushing a ball off Kenley Jansen to score Curtis Granderson from second to give the Mets the victory.
The Mets would take the season series 4-3. These two ball clubs were practically dead even during the regular season. This series has the potential to go either way and I think without a doubt it will be the best series coming out of the first round of the playoffs. It all begins on Friday night at Dodgers Stadium. Be there!
