Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium features one of the most compelling National League matchups of the season as the New York Mets take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second game of their series. The Mets enter at 37–22 and sit atop the NL East with the league’s best team ERA, while the Dodgers are 33–23 and looking to regain momentum after a narrow 4–3 loss in extra innings on Monday. This game has all the elements of a playoff-style showdown: dominant starting pitching, superstar talent on both sides, strategic bullpen management, and a potential slugfest between two teams that rank near the top in power metrics when at full strength. The Dodgers will turn to Dustin May, who’s shown signs of promise in his 2025 campaign but has also struggled with command and long innings. May’s strikeout upside is real, but he’ll need to get ahead in counts against a patient Mets lineup that has consistently forced opposing starters into high pitch counts. On the other side, the Mets are likely to send Paul Blackburn back to the mound after a stunning season debut in which he shut down L.A.’s high-powered offense, including two strikeouts against Shohei Ohtani and multiple shutdown innings against the heart of the order. Though Blackburn hadn’t pitched all year prior to that outing, his poise, control, and ability to limit hard contact made a clear statement that he belongs in the rotation.

Offensively, the Mets feature a balanced attack led by Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Francisco Lindor, with Alvarez and McNeil providing lineup depth and situational production. They’ve excelled at producing runs in late-game situations, especially when opposing bullpens begin to unravel, and their road success has been a major asset. However, despite winning, the Mets have been underwhelming against the spread, going just 2–7 ATS in their last nine games—a sign that they often win close but fail to dominate as favorites. The Dodgers, meanwhile, remain dangerous even as they battle through injuries. With Mookie Betts and other contributors sidelined, they’ve leaned more on Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy to carry the offensive load. Their recent trend has seen totals go over in six of their last nine games, showing their ability to explode offensively even in low-scoring environments. Defensively, the Dodgers remain one of the cleanest teams in the majors, with sound fundamentals and excellent field positioning helping support their pitching. Their bullpen, while missing key arms, continues to deliver thanks to depth and late-game focus. The matchup’s outcome could come down to who scores first and how well each starter navigates the top half of the opposing lineup. If Blackburn repeats his Monday performance, the Mets could silence a packed Dodger Stadium crowd early and turn the game over to their dominant bullpen, led by Edwin Díaz. If May finds his rhythm and gives the Dodgers six strong innings, L.A.’s power advantage and home-field edge might be enough to overwhelm a Mets team that’s been grinding out close wins. Both teams are playoff-bound and will view this game as a tone-setter for the rest of the series—and possibly for a postseason rematch. With elite arms, deep benches, and smart dugouts, expect nine innings of high-octane chess under the lights in Los Angeles.