Dodgers aim for rare season sweep of Mets

When the Los Angeles Dodgers wrap up their three-game series at the New York Mets on Sunday afternoon, they will have a chance to do something they have only accomplished once in 65 seasons.

A win in the finale, which also doubles as the conclusion of their nine-game road trip, would give them a sweep of the weekend series. It also would mean the Dodgers won all six games against the Mets this season.

According to MCubed.net, the only season that Los Angeles accomplished this unblemished run was in 2017 (7-0) since the Mets' inaugural season in 1962.

Emmet Sheehan (4-7, 5.13 ERA) will start for the Dodgers and face the Mets for the first time in his career. The right-hander has been tagged with the loss in six of his last eight starts, including last Monday in Philadelphia. He gave up six runs on eight hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings as the Phillies won 10-7.

Similarly, Mets starter Freddy Peralta (5-9, 5.01) also has struggled of late, posting an 0-4 record with an 8.44 ERA in 26 2/3 innings over his last six starts.

The 30-year-old righty, though, has pitched well against the Dodgers. In eight career starts, he's gone 4-2 with a 3.29 ERA.

As a member of the Milwaukee Brewers last season who led the National League with 17 wins, Peralta beat Los Angeles twice in less than two weeks. He allowed a combined four runs across 11 innings on 10 hits and four walks. In the first game, on July 7, he blanked them over six innings, yielding just five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.

Since the Dodgers' road trip started right after the All-Star break, at least some of the players have been away from Southern California for nearly two weeks. Before venturing to Queens and facing the Mets, Los Angeles took two of three from both the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, two teams that hold wild-card spots in their leagues with two months left in the regular season.

"It seems like we've been on the road a long time, but the travel has been nice as far as staying in this time zone," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the Los Angeles Daily News. "We're finding ways to win. So that's the main thing. That's the object of the game."

Freddie Freeman is one of the Dodgers who has been out on the East Coast for two weeks. The National League All-Star first baseman has not shown any road wear. He went 3-for-4 in Saturday's win. It was his third straight game with three or more hits. That's the fifth time Freeman, 36, has done that in his 17-year career.

His last such streak happened nearly three years ago.

The Mets, losers of three straight and five of their last seven, have struggled against Dodger pitching in the series, getting just 10 total hits while striking out 22 times.

Rookie outfielder A.J. Ewing went 0-for-5 and struck out twice batting leadoff for the Mets on Saturday. Since play resumed from the break, he's hitting just .194 (7-for-36) with 13 strikeouts. Interim manager Andy Green told reporters that the 21-year-old is experiencing what most others face during their big-league careers.

"I see him as plenty capable, and he's going to respond," Green said. "But at this moment, it's time to punch back."

--Field Level Media