Intensity level in Dodgers-Mets series just went up several levels

And won’t New York just be a ball of fun now?

Let’s face it, for a lot of people, constant pitching duels are not their idea of thrilling baseball. There had been some phenomenal starting pitching in the first two games for the Dodgers and Mets, but it’s not like the series was reeking of emotion.

Won’t be a problem now.

There is no one in all of baseball who liked to see Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada carted off the field with a broken leg. But Chase Utley’s hard — and, OK, late and high — slide turned Saturday’s game around and possibly the entire series.

Think Citi Field won’t be fired up now? Should be all kinds of intense.

Think the Mets won’t be a passionate bunch now? They were not a happy group after Saturday’s game.

“They’re angry,” said Mets Manager Terry Collins.

They lost their starting shortstop. They lost a Game 2 they had every reason to believe they were going to win. And seemed to lose their focus.

“It definitely seemed like after that play, we lost the momentum,” Mets third baseman David Wright said.

Mets infielder Kelly Johnson called it less a slide than a “tackle.”

The Dodgers, naturally, all defended Utley. Loved his aggressiveness, how hard he plays. Bemoaned the injury to Tejada, but admired Utley’s willingness to go in hard to break up the double play. That’s what you’re supposed to do.

Will revenge be on the minds of the Mets? Should the Dodgers prepare for retribution? You won’t tune in to find out?

“This is not the time of year you get involved with all that or worry about that,” Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said. “I just think we go play, be ready to play and just deal with whatever.”

There’s just this unknown now as to what that “whatever” will entail. The playoffs already are great theater, but the stakes were raised with that slide. You can bet the Mets will be fired up come Monday.

“I believe it will help,” Collins said.

The Dodgers, uncertain exactly how the Mets will respond, will be on full alert.

A series that was shaping up as a nice, polite sporting event is now all kinds of intense. It’s not unusual for that to happen as a series progresses, but less so in a five-game, first-round affair.

The Dodgers and Mets just raised the ante. Now they don’t just want to win and advance, they want to beat the other team.

Follow Steve Dilbeck on Twitter @SteveDilbeck