Trea Turner added to his recent power display but his two-run home run was not enough to help propel the Los Angeles Dodgers to a series win against the New York Mets on Sunday. Instead, the Dodgers closed their homestand a disappointing 2-5 and with back-to-back losses.
The matchup with the Mets lost some luster due to notable injuries on both rosters, but they still began the four-game set with the best records in the National League. The Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak in the series opener, which Turner said had a playoff-type atmosphere.
There’s an expectation the Dodgers and Mets could meet in the NL Championship Series, which Turner acknowledged as a possibility and viewed their series at Dodger Stadium as a barometer.
“I think it’s kind of hard envisioning that far down the road because obviously a lot can happen on both sides,” he began. “We both have to play really good baseball for a lot of games, but it’s possible.
“You can see how talented they are, the pitching they have and lineup they have, they’re a pretty complete ballclub. As are we, so if it happens down the road, I think this was a good test. We’ve still got to go there and play them, so anytime you can go head-to-head with one of the better teams in the league it’s always fun. I think this series was pretty fun.”
The Dodgers and Mets next meet at Citi Field from Aug. 30-Sept. 1. It’s possible Max Scherzer will have returned from a significant oblique strain he suffered in May.
Turner trying to find ‘barrel’
Turner had his 26-game hitting streak snapped during the series with the Mets, but essentially started a new on with his home run on Sunday.
“I was just trying to downshift a little bit,” Turner said of his sixth home run this season. “[Saturday], I felt like I had a lot of pitches to hit. Just kept fouling them off, so I when I got a pitch in the zone I just wanted to put a barrel on it.
“Just looking for a pitch in the zone and keeping it simple.”
Turner went 9-for-29 (.310) with two doubles, two home runs and four RBI on the homestand, and is fifth in the Majors with 44 RBI this year.
Are you following Dodger Blue on Instagram? It’s the best way to see exclusive coverage from games and events, get your questions answered, and more!
