After splitting the first two games of the series, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets take the field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night for the third of a four-game set.
Squaring off on the mound are two of the hardest throwers in the league in righties Walker Buehler and Noah Syndergaard. Both are in the top 10 amongst starters in average fastball velocity in 2019 with Buehler at 96.6 mph and Syndergaard averaging 97.8 mph.
Buehler has been on a roll as of late, giving up three earned runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts. He is 4-1 with a 2.28 ERA with 43 strikeouts and just six walks in 43.1 innings over that span.
Overall in 10 starts this season, the 24-year-old is 5-1 with a 3.58 ERA, 3.06 FIP and 1.05 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 11 walks in 55.1 innings. This is his first career start against the Mets.
Syndergaard has actually struggled a bit this season, coming in with a 3-4 record to go along with a 4.93 ERA, 3.70 FIP and 1.26 WHIP. He has struck out 72 and walked 15 in 69.1 total innings. Syndergaard is coming off a start in which he allowed 10 hits and six runs in 5.1 innings against the Detroit Tigers.
The 26-year-old has fond memories at Dodger Stadium though as the last time he pitched there in May 2016, he pitched eight innings of two-run ball and also hit two home runs to earn a victory.
Corey Seager has had some success against Syndergaard in his career, going 3-for-5 with a home run. Seager has struggled to get going offensively this season coming off Tommy John and hip surgeries. He enters play batting .238/.330/.381 with five home runs and 26 RBI in 53 games.
Cody Bellinger, on the other hand, has had no problems at the plate. He has homered in each of the first two games of this series to give him 20 on the year. He became the first Dodgers player since Gil Hodges to homer 20 times in his team’s first 55 games to begin a season.
Will Smith is back in the lineup for the Dodgers and batting eighth. He made his Major League debut on Tuesday and went 2-for-4 with a single and double.
Mets outfielder Michael Conforto hit a big grand slam in Tuesday night’s win for New York and he has swung the bat well the entire month of May. He is slashing .260/.415/.540 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 16 games this month.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
2B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Cody Bellinger
SS: Corey Seager
1B: Matt Beaty
CF: Alex Verdugo
C: Will Smith
P: Walker Buehler
Mets lineup:
SS: Amed Rosario
LF: Dominic Smith
1B: Pete Alonso
RF: Michael Conforto
C: Wilson Ramos
3B: Todd Frazier
CF: Carlos Gomez
2B: Adeiny Hechavarria
P: Noah Syndergaard
