This is the first season in Major League Baseball’s modern era in which all teams play each other. It’s about time, really, an easy way to boost the national appeal of a sport that skews regional. Yet some of the matchups still seem a little strange.
Consider the Mets’ current homestand, with series against the Los Angeles Angels, the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners. Sure, the Mets abandoned the pennant race a month ago, but the American League West version is flourishing in Flushing.
“Hey, you’re past those dog days,” said Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy, who has seen a race or two.