NEW YORK METS (20-11)

at LOS ANGELES DODGERS (16-16)

First pitch: Tuesday, 10:10 p.m. ET
Line: New York -115, Los Angeles +105, Total: 7.5

Jacob deGrom and the first-place Mets look for their second straight win over Alex Wood and the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

In a rematch of the 2015 National League Division Series, the first-place Mets (20-11) took the opener of the four-game series from the Dodgers (16-16), 4-2, on Monday night. The Mets have now won three straight on their West Coast road trip, while Dave Roberts’ club has fallen back to .500. With the Giants’ loss to the Blue Jays on Monday night, the Dodgers remain in a first-place tie in the NL West. RHP Jacob deGrom (3-1, 1.99 ERA, 16 SO, 5 BB, 1 HR in 22 2/3 IP) will be on the hill for the Mets in the second game of the series. The All-Star is coming off his worst start of the season, when he surrendered three earned runs in five innings against the Padres on May 5. Pitching for Los Angeles will be LHP Alex Wood (1-3, 5.18 ERA, 28 SO, 12 BB, 4 HR in 33 IP), who has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his six starts. He gave up three home runs in his last outing, against the Rays, on May 4. The Mets have played very well away from Queens, posting an 11-5 road mark. The Dodgers have struggled in Los Angeles, meanwhile, going just 5-9.

Since starting the season 2-5, Terry Collins’ club has gone 18-6 and overtaken the Nationals for first place. New York lives and dies by the long ball, but lately it’s been living pretty well. The Mets have just the ninth-most runs in the NL (137), but they lead the league in homers with 49. (It helps that they have the best starting rotation in baseball and a rock-solid bullpen.) CF Yoenis Cespedes (.290, 11 HR, 31 RBI, .372 OBP), in the first year of a 3-year, $75 million pact—he was acquired by general manager Sandy Alderson at the trade deadline last season—is second in the NL in homers and first in RBIs. 2B Neil Walker (.259, 9 HR, 19 RBI, .297 OBP), who was acquired in the offseason for P Jon Niese, is day-to-day with a shin injury and isn’t expected to be in the lineup on Tuesday. LF Michael Conforto (.291, 5 HR, 19 RBI, .373 OBP) has emerged as New York’s most complete hitter in his second big-league campaign. IF Wilmer Flores (.170, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .250 OBP), RF Curtis Granderson (.215, 6 HR, 11 RBI, .312 OBP) and OF Juan Lagares (.250, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .298 OBP) have all homered off Wood. In five career starts, DeGrom is 2-2 against the Dodgers with a 2.75 ERA.

The Dodgers have really struggled to hit through the first 32 games. They’re tied for 10th in the NL in runs (135), 10th in average (.239) and second-to-last in home runs (24). Veteran 2B Chase Utley (.292, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .398 OBP) has shockingly been LA’s most dependable hitter. CF Joc Pederson (.275, 6 HR, 14 RBI, .379 OBP), in his second full season, is someone who deGrom will have to be very careful with. 1B Adrian Gonzalez’s (.271, 3 HR, 17 RBI, .356 OBP) power has gone missing, and 3B Justin Turner (.255, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .347 OBP) has gotten off to a rough start. The most disappointing player in the lineup has to be RF Yasiel Puig (.235, 3 HR, 12 RBI, .285 OBP), who hasn’t resembled anything close to a superstar. Utley has hit deGrom well, going 3-for-10. Gonzalez has completely owned the former Rookie of the Year, with three hits in eight at-bats—including two homers. In seven career starts against the Mets, Wood is 0-3 with a 4.35 ERA.