Dodgers to employ parade of relievers against Mets with chance to clinch record 25th pennant at home

AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping this bullpen game goes better than their last one.

The Dodgers are going with a parade of relievers as they try to close out the New York Mets in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series on Sunday night. There has been no word from manager Dave Roberts on who will serve as the opener for the NL West champions.

New York is going with Sean Manaea at Dodger Stadium. The Mets won 12-6 on Friday to send the best-of-seven series back to LA.

The Dodgers are trying to secure their fourth trip to the World Series in the last eight years. Their only title during that stretch came in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season against Tampa Bay. They haven’t clinched an NL pennant — they own a record 24 — at home since 1988.

“The opportunity to do it here in LA in front of these fans will be very special,” pitcher Evan Phillips said Saturday.

The Dodgers are using a bullpen game for the third time this postseason, and second against the Mets.

“The benefit for us is that bullpen games are somewhat of a regular thing to the point where we’re braced for whatever situation we’re called upon for that day,” Phillips said. “That communication will come to us pregame, and we’ll be ready to go for sure.”

Manaea is 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA in playoff starts, including a Game 2 victory at Dodger Stadium against LA’s bullpen.

“We’ll watch him closely and we’ll be ready and adjust if we need to,” rookie Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Manaea had complained of hitting the wall after his last start, which lasted into the sixth inning.

“I threw a lot of balls arm-side, which hasn’t been typical for me, so I just couldn’t really get that mind-body connection to make the adjustment,” the left-hander said. “I’m just trying to push through that. I hopefully can go deep into the game.”

In Game 2, the Mets got to the Dodgers’ bullpen early, scoring six runs in the first two innings en route to a 7-3 victory. New York snapped the Dodgers’ run of 33 consecutive scoreless innings in the playoffs, too.

“Similar to what we did in Game 2 with the expectation of better execution,” Roberts said of Sunday’s plan.

He suggested the Dodgers would “be a little bit more aggressive” in getting to their high-leverage relievers earlier than they did in Game 2.

Roberts successfully used the bullpen gambit when facing elimination against the San Diego Padres in Game 4 of the NL Division Series. He didn’t hesitate in going to high-leverage relievers Michael Kopech, Alex Vesia and Phillips, who all appeared by the sixth inning. The Dodgers won and closed out the Padres in five games. Vesia is injured and didn’t make the NLCS roster.

Mendoza was weighing a potential lineup of Jesse Winker at designated hitter again and Jeff McNeil back at second base. Winker went 2 for 3 with an RBI triple and McNeil had two RBIs in Friday’s victory.

“I thought the at-bats were really good especially for a guy that hasn’t played for a long time, especially the situational hitting,” Mendoza said of McNeil. “We don’t know who we’re facing. We’ve still got to wait and see what we got here.”

Roberts, in turn, was plotting his pitching order based on how the Mets construct their lineup.

“It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation,” he said. “And with the ‘pen, there’s only so much you can push each guy. So it’s kind of just depending on where they’re at as far as kind of hitter, pitch count, all that stuff.”

The teams are meeting in the NLCS for the first time since 1988, when the Dodgers beat the Mets in seven games and eventually went on to win their sixth World Series title.

Warming it up

After three chilly games in New York, where temperatures were in the 50s and players donned knit hats and long sleeves, the series returns to the warmth of California. Sunday’s forecast calls for temperatures in the high 70s by first pitch before dropping to the 60s as the game goes on.

“Hopefully everything feels good tomorrow and pitches are moving how I want them to be,” Manaea said.

Dogging it

Shohei Ohtani’s wife, Mamiko, and their dog, Decoy, have been low-profile regulars at Dodger Stadium during the playoffs. The duo watches the games from a suite where they can stay inside and away from camera lenses and fans.

Ohtani’s record $700 million, 10-year contract includes a private suite at the stadium.

She and Decoy showed up Saturday for the team’s workout. Decoy wasn’t wearing his Dodgers jersey, which he apparently saves for game days.

After a recent game, Ohtani’s agent was carrying Decoy out of the stadium while Mamiko walked alongside. Ohtani stunned his teammates and fans around the world when he revealed in February that he had married Mamiko Tanaka, a former Japanese basketball player who avoids publicity.

Injury update

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman’s status for Game 6 had yet to be decided. Roberts said he was expecting the All-Star with a sprained right ankle to play, but “if it’s costly for him or us we’ll certainly pivot.”

“I’m not going to compromise his health or certainly winning a game if he’s not mentally and/or physically ready to go,” Roberts added.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith was replaced by a pinch hitter in Game 5 after taking either a foul tip or a bat to his catching hand. Roberts said tests were negative and he expects Smith to play Sunday.

Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux won’t start Sunday because of an injured hip that limited him to a pinch-hit appearance in Game 5.

Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo has been playing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

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