San Diego Padres vs New York Mets at Petco Park

The New York Mets visit Petco Park on June 5 in a series between two franchises that have both arrived at different points in their respective rebuild cycles — the Mets with one of the largest payrolls in the sport, the Padres with a core built for sustained contention. A Mets series at Petco draws the New York contingent that lives and vacations in Southern California, and the right-field line becomes a conversation between transplant Mets fans and the Padres faithful who have been hearing about New York baseball since they were children. Petco Park on a June Friday is one of the most pleasant sports evenings San Diego offers: the commute done, the workweek concluded, the ballpark lit against a deep June sky, and three hours of National League East vs West baseball ahead of you. Against the Mets, the Padres know what they are facing. The result matters. Show up early enough to watch batting practice.