Entering the most expensive series in MLB history, baseball’s two biggest spenders, had been going in polar opposite directions.
The Dodgers (14-4), despite a series finale loss to the Texas Rangers, have picked up right where they left off last season, perhaps looking even more dangerous. Los Angeles had won seven of their last nine games, including a series victory versus the Toronto Blue Jays, the reigning winners of the American League pennant.
Even when it would be completely understandable for a team that has won back-to-back World Series to get complacent in the regular season, the Dodgers have kept their foot on the gas.
The Mets (7-12), on the other hand, have been struggling. New York was in the midst of a five-game losing skid heading into their road trip, including getting swept by the Athletics at home to drop them into last place in the National League East, which has been surprisingly strong early in 2026.
So, given the vastly different play from the two teams going into this week’s historic clash, the series went just about how you would expect.
The Dodgers imposed their will on the scuffling Mets, sweeping New York to extend their losing streak to eight games.
Los Angeles’ pitching staff took advantage of an impotent Mets offense all series long. For New York, they miss the presence of superstar Juan Soto in their lineup dearly, scoring just three runs with 16 hits in their most recent four games.
In Monday’s 4-0 series-opening shutout, reliever Justin Wrobleski, who has transitioned to a starter a few games for the Dodgers already this season, gave up two hits and no runs in a career-high eight innings. While not known for his strikeout stuff, Wrobleski has been both reliable and consistently excellent for Los Angeles so far, owning a superb 2.12 ERA and 0.76 WHIP.
Outfielder Andy Pages gave Wrobleski all the run support he needed with a three-run shot in the third inning. Pages has not slowed down from his blazing start to 2026 and boasts a league-leading .409 batting average and 20 RBI stat line through 18 contests.
In the next two games, the Dodgers handed the ball to their two MVP-caliber aces, and the pair didn’t disappoint.
On Tuesday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw 7 2/3 innings, allowing one run and striking out seven.
The next night in the series finale on Jackie Robinson Day, Shohei Ohtani toed the rubber to start on the mound, but didn’t bat for the first time in five seasons. Instead, new Dodger Kyle Tucker occupied the lead-off spot and blasted his second home run of the year.
Perhaps fittingly, backup catcher Dalton Rushing, who took Ohtani’s place as the designated hitter on Wednesday, launched a grand slam in the eighth to blow the game open and secure the eventual 8-2 win.
Even without his bat, Ohtani left his imprint on the game. On the mound, Ohtani was nearly unhittable, ending his night allowing one earned run on two hits with 10 punchouts.
The bullpen, a frequent cause for concern last year, closed out the game in dominant fashion. On Tuesday in the eighth inning, reliever Blake Treinen came in with runners on the corners and two outs in a tie game. Treinen struck out Luis Robert Jr. to escape trouble before the Dodgers struck in the bottom of the eighth to take a one-run lead.
In the top of the ninth, reliever Alex Vesia, who had five saves each of the last two seasons, struck out the side for his second this year in the 2-1 triumph. The stressless save was another highlight in what has been a hot start to the season for Vesia, a great sign for the Dodgers moving forward.
The sweep gives the team a 10-2 record since April 2 as the Dodgers look to position themselves for a chance at a World Series three-peat.
After a day off on Thursday, Los Angeles begins a seven-game road trip with a four-game set versus the lowly Colorado Rockies in Denver beginning on Friday, April 17.
Money Isn’t Everything
During the Dodgers’ recent run of excellence and back-to-back World Series Championships, much has been made about the team’s astronomical payroll, with many opposing fans and critics claiming it gives the team an unfair edge over their competition.
However, in a three-game series between the two teams with the highest payrolls in baseball, it’s immediately clear who is better. There is a considerable difference in what the two teams have done recently, how they are playing now, and where they are likely headed this fall.
While spending discrepancies may provide an unbalanced competitive advantage, money can’t buy everything—and the Mets are the epitome of that.
New York, which has spent almost as much as Los Angeles in recent years, hasn’t been able to put it all together and field championship teams like the Dodgers. Repeatedly spending doesn’t automatically guarantee wins or correlate with rings. Instead, the players on the field have to perform. Once the game begins—the rest doesn’t matter.