To start the second half of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets will meet up on Friday in the first of a three-game series at Citi Field. The Los Angeles Dodgers come into the game with a 51-38 record on the season, which is 1st place in the National League West, tied with Arizona. The Dodgers went into the All-Star break on a four-game winning streak. For the New York Mets, they have struggled this season. New York is 42-48, which is 4th in the National League East. The Mets dropped their final two games before the break.
The Los Angeles Dodgers come into this game as a small favorite. You can grab the Dodgers at -115 over the Mets. If you like Scherzer and New York, you can get them at -105. The total is listed at 7.5 runs.
Verlander Gets Second Half Started
Justin Verlander will throw for the Mets to start the season half of the season. The veteran is 3-4 on the season with a 3.60 earned run average. Verlander has struck out 57 batters while walking 19 this season. The last outing before the break for the 40-year-old saw him allow 5 hits and 2 earned runs in 6 innings.
The Mets, who had all expectations of winning the National League East and making a deep postseason run, have been disappointing, at best. The Mets are tied for 14th, scoring 4.5 runs per game, but 20th in hits, with just 8 per game. The power has been fine for the Mets, with 114 home runs.
Pete Alonso leads the team with 26 home runs, while Francisco Lindor has 19 for the Mets. Lindor also leads the squad with 20 doubles on the season. Pitching has been the biggest issue, as the Mets have a team ERA of 4.39 on the season.
Dodgers Looking to Start Hot
The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping to start the second half of the season hot and pull away from the rest of the division. The Dodgers scored 8 runs per game in their recent four-game winning streak. The offense for the Dodgers has started to heat up as of late, and are now second in MLB with 5.6 runs per game. The Dodgers have also hit 149 home runs, which is also 2nd in MLB.
Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, and Freddie Freeman all run the offense for the Dodgers. All three guys were in the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Betts leads the team with 26 home runs, while Martinez has 22 and Freeman has 17. Max Muncy also has 21 homeruns for Los Angeles.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, they are going to throw Julio Urias. The 26-year-old from Mexico is 6-5 on the season with a 4.76 earned run average. The lefthander is coming off a strong outing against the Pirates on July 6th, where he allowed just 2 runs over 6 innings. Urias is making just his third start since returning from the injured list.
Scherzer and Mets Win Opener
The New York Mets are desperate in the second half. They need wins, and they need lots of them. Look for Scherzer to set the tone with a great outing here. They need their ace. Bet on the New York Mets to win this game. Take the Mets -105 over the Dodgers on Friday.
