After playing back-to-back games that went into extra innings, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets will have a little more rest than originally planned before returning to Citi Field for the series finale.
At the end of July the game was selected for an ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, which changed the start time from 10:10 a.m. to 4:08 p.m. PT. Of course, the national broadcast now makes for an evening game on the East Coast for two teams due to travel West once it concludes.
The Dodgers start a seven-game homestand on Monday, while the Mets will play that many on the road. Their road trip concludes with a four-game series at Dodger Stadium.
The Mets now facing a night game before a road trip angered Noah Syndergaard, who posted an explicit message to his Instagram story:
“Hey @mlb @espn whose dumb [expletive] idea was it to change tomorrow’s game to a night game when we’re traveling to the west coast after. Won’t get in until Monday morning. Take on the 1st place Giants later that evening. Brilliant!”
Syndergaard isn’t the first player to voice frustration over ESPN changing a start time, as Andre Ethier once expressed similar concerns.
Further heightening the situation is the Dodgers and Mets both being in the middle of division races. The Dodgers enter play Sunday for games back of the National League West-leading San Francisco Giants, and the Mets are 1.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.
Syndergaard hasn’t had a say in the Mets’ fortunes this season as he continues to be saddled by right elbow trouble. Syndergaard missed all of the 2020 campaign due to Tommy John surgery.
Sunday Night Baseball telecast
Matt Vasgersian will handle play-by-play duties and be joined by analyst Alex Rodriguez and reporter Buster Olney.
The Dodgers have another ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast on Sept. 5, when they face the Giants at Oracle Park.
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