The New York Mets are chasing an improbable and long-awaited postseason run, while the Los Angeles Dodgers have some making up to do for last year. When the 2015 National League Division Series is settled, one of the two will head home disappointed.
It's already been a groundbreaking season for the Mets, who's preseason aspirations were finally fulfilled. They earned their first NL East title since 2006 and just their second since the 1980s. They are built to end a nearly 30-year World Series drought.
They'll have to rise up against a comparably talented team, though, as the Dodgers look poised to make up for their disappointing 2014 playoff exit and perhaps get another crack at the St. Louis Cardinals.
The early part of the week is set for wild-card showdowns, but it won't be long until the Mets and Dodgers face off. Let's take a look at everything you need to know.
2015 NLDS Schedule: Dodgers vs. Mets
Note: Game times will be posted when released at MLB.com.
Preview
Take all of the battles of top pitching staffs in postseasons past and throw them out, because this one is likely to take the cake.
Up to six of the 10 best pitchers in baseball today could get the ball in this series. With the New York Mets' four-headed monster on the mound and the Dodgers' peerless duo, though, it's not hard to see where the advantage lies.
The Mets have a group of pitchers tossing at a level that hasn't really been seen on the same team before. Bartolo Colon, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard all look like top-flight starters who can will the Mets to a win.
The stats show it, as they became the first team ever to boast four pitchers with more than 150 innings and a strikeout-to-walk ratio over five, as Erik Malinowski of Sports on Earth observed:
Obviously, the Mets have a number of directions they could go with the ball in Game 1, but they're choosing to go with deGrom. His 2.54 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and over 200 strikeouts are incredible numbers that he can only hope to build on against the Dodgers' bats.
He spoke with reporters about how he's preparing for the madness, per the Mets' Twitter account:
The Dodgers will have a much more established ace on the mound in Game 1, as Clayton Kershaw will get the chance to improve his postseason reputation. He's become known for coming up short in the playoffs, after almost unbelievable regular seasons.
Kershaw will get to start the series, but perhaps the Dodgers' best pitcher—at least this year—will be on the mound for Game 2. Zack Greinke is that man, and Kershaw hasn't been shy on heaping praise toward him, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
Both teams have bats capable of going off at any time, as Yoenis Cespedes has revitalized the Mets and the Dodgers have a stacked their lineup with RBI machines. But both teams have been no-hit this year and can be shut down by top pitching.
That makes it even more apparent that this series will be decided on the mound. And considering the strengths of these two teams, there's no more fitting way for it to be decided.
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