July 21, 2015
The New York Mets start a four-game series on July 23rd when the National West division leaders, the Los Angeles Dodgers come to town. The New York Mets (48-44) have surprised many baseball fans and sit only two games behind the Washington Nationals in the race for the National League East division. Despite having one of the worst offenses in baseball, New York’s pitching staff has the third best ERA (3.22) in baseball. Jacob deGrom has quietly become the staff ace, leading the team in ERA (2.14) and strikeouts (112). Matt Harvey has been dominant as well, striking out 109 batters over 111 innings. Jeurys Familia has locked down New York’s bullpen, converting 27 saves while posting an impressive 1.42 ERA. New York’s offense has been putrid and Juan Lagares’ .252 batting average currently leads the team. New York will have some time to add a bat or two before the trade deadline.
Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (53-40) have the third best record in baseball thanks to its strong pitching staff. The duo of Clayton Kershaw (7-6, 2.68 ERA) and Zack Greinke (9-2, 1.30 ERA) have been dominant and look to build towards October. Greinke has not allowed a run in his past 43.2 innings pitched, the fourth-longest shutout streak in baseball history. Free agent addition, Howie Kendrick currently has the highest batting average (.296) while Adrian Gonzalez leads the team in home runs (20) and RBIs (58). Rookie center fielder, Joc Pederson has been feast or famine at the plate, coupling 20 home runs with a team-high 112 strikeouts. Los Angeles may add a player or two at the trade deadline, but it’s World Series hopes rest on the shoulders of Kershaw and Greinke.
According to TicketIQ, the Mets’ series average ticket price is $80.05, 15.3% below the remaining season average for Mets tickets on the secondary market. Scheduling unfortunately robs fans (and the secondary ticket market) of top-flight pitching matchups that could have commanded higher prices. The aces of each team miss each other with the Dodgers’ duo starting the first two games and the Mets sending their stars out for the final two.
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7/23: (Average: $68.52; Get-In: $13) (Clayton Kershaw vs. Bartolo Colon)
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7/24: (Average: $78.78; Get-In: $19) (Zack Greinke vs. Jon Niese)
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7/25: (Average: $86.64; Get-In: $16) (Brandon Beachy vs. Matt Harvey)
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7/26: (Average: $83.74; Get-In: $18) (Brett Anderson vs. Jacob deGrom)
Head out to Citi Field to watch these two former New York rivals square off in a battle for bragging rights. These two teams boast some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, so anticipate a fierce, passionate battle between these two teams.
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