Back Mets in Game 1

Padres vs. Mets, 8:07 ET

This will be an interesting series for a few reasons. One, it has a New York team, those are always hyped up by the media. Two, they will likely talk about how Fernando Tatis Jr. would have made a difference. Three, it is a cross-country battle, which makes travel and body clocks jacked up.

For the Padres, they are turning to Yu Darvish to see if they can steal a game in New York. Darvish had a good year despite some hiccups along the way. He finished in the top-20 of ERA, wins, strikeouts, and WHIP. Perhaps most encouraging for the Padres is that he had his best month of the year in September. In the month, he had six starts, went 39 innings, and allowed just eight earned runs. That's what you want out of your Ace as you make a final push to the playoffs. He also faced the Mets twice this year and allowed just one earned run and six hits over 14 innings. Road Darvish hasn't been as good as Home Darvish, but he showed at least in one game this season he can handle the Mets lineup.

Max Scherzer is taking the ball for the Mets and he had a typical successful Scherzer season. Over 145.1 innings, he produced a 2.29 ERA. At home, he was spectacular with a 1.67 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 64.2 innings. His most recent start left a little to be desired, but his September was solid over the three starts he had. In October, his only start was a 5.2-inning outing where he allowed four earned runs. Scherzer was able to make one start against the Padres this year - he allowed two earned runs over six innings in that outing.

This is going to be a pretty good series. The Mets faltered a bit late and lost the division to the Braves. Both teams ended the season going 5-5 over their last 10 games, so they are both not playing great. Pitching likes to dominate when hitters are struggling, but I am going to take the Mets in this one. Home field advantage, Scherzer at home, Darvish on the road. It is more than I like to pay, but I'll play it at -135.

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