Jun 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) can’t hang on to the throw on a RBI single by Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner (6) in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Going into Thursday night, the hype around the four-game series between the New York Mets and Los Angels Dodgers was incredible. Two of the best teams in the league were set to face each other for the first time in 2022. The series certainly lived up to the excitement, with each team taking two games apiece to earn a split.
The Dodgers pitching staff dominated the first two games of the series, limiting the Mets to just one run over two games. The Mets offense came roaring back in the final two games, securing two comeback victories to give the team a ton of momentum heading into their next series in San Diego.
Both the Mets and Dodgers are in good shape in their respective divisions. In the National League East, the Mets currently hold a 8 1/2-game lead over the Atlanta Braves and a 11-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves sliced the deficit by a couple of games this weekend, thanks to a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Mets have only faced them four times this season, going 2-2 in those games. Over the last few years, the Braves have proved to be the best team in the NL East. Expect them to make things competitive in the division towards the end of the season.
The Phillies are quite an interesting team, considering they just fired former manager Joe Girardi on Friday morning. The team got an immediate response under interim manager Rob Thomson, sweeping a three-game set from the Los Angeles Angels. Considering their defensive struggles in the field along with a lack of depth in the bullpen, it is hard to see a scenario where the Phillies challenge for a division title in 2022.
For the Dodgers in the National League West, they have a 2-game lead over the San Diego Padres and a 5 1/2-game lead over the San Francisco Giants. This Padres team is a lot different compared to the one from last season, especially with veteran manager Bob Melvin leading the charge. With a strong rotation, good bullpen, and an offense that is still awaiting the return of Fernando Tatís Jr., the Padres should push the Dodgers to their limit in the division.
The Giants are coming off a 2021 season in which they won 107 games, winning the division for the first time since 2012. Besides the notable departures of Kevin Gausman and Kris Bryant, it is still much of the same team that had so much success last season. Under manager Gabe Kapler, the Giants should not be counted out, both in the division and in the race for a wild card spot.
At the very least, these four games between the Mets and Dodgers indicate what a playoff series with these two teams could look like. Yes, it is only the first week of June and most teams have played around 55 games to this point. But the competitiveness combined with the energy this weekend series at Dodger Stadium created only makes each fanbase more excited for what could potentially come in October. The Mets and Dodgers are proving to be the two best teams in the National League at this point of the season.
