LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� 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 at Dodger Stadium. The Mets won 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 against Tampa Bay. They haven't clinched an NL pennant 鈥� they own a record 24 鈥� at home since 1988.
鈥淭he opportunity to do it here in LA in front of these fans will be very special,鈥� pitcher Evan Phillips said Saturday.
The Dodgers are using a bullpen game for the third time this postseason, and second against the Mets.
鈥淭he benefit for us is that bullpen games are somewhat of a regular thing to the point where we鈥檙e braced for whatever situation we鈥檙e called upon for that day,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淭hat communication will come to us pregame, and we鈥檒l be ready to go for sure.鈥�
Manaea is 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA in playoff starts, including a Game 2 victory at Dodger Stadium against LA's bullpen.
鈥淲e鈥檒l watch him closely and we鈥檒l be ready and adjust if we need to,鈥� rookie Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Manaea had complained of hitting the wall after his last start, which lasted into the sixth inning.
鈥淚 threw a lot of balls arm-side, which hasn鈥檛 been typical for me, so I just couldn鈥檛 really get that mind-body connection to make the adjustment,鈥� the left-hander said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to push through that. I hopefully can go deep into the game.鈥�
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' in the playoffs, too.
鈥淪imilar to what we did in Game 2 with the expectation of better execution,鈥� Roberts said of Sunday's plan.
He suggested the Dodgers would 鈥渂e a little bit more aggressive鈥� 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 . 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.
鈥淚 thought the at-bats were really good especially for a guy that hasn鈥檛 played for a long time, especially the situational hitting,鈥� Mendoza said of McNeil. 鈥淲e don't know who we're facing. We鈥檝e still got to wait and see what we got here.鈥�
Roberts, in turn, was plotting his pitching order based on how the Mets construct their lineup.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an all-hands-on-deck situation,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd with the 'pen, there鈥檚 only so much you can push each guy. So it鈥檚 kind of just depending on where they鈥檙e at as far as kind of hitter, pitch count, all that stuff.鈥�
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.
鈥淗opefully everything feels good tomorrow and pitches are moving how I want them to be,鈥� Manaea said.
Dogging it
, Mamiko, and 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.
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 鈥渋f it's costly for him or us we'll certainly pivot.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to compromise his health or certainly winning a game if he鈥檚 not mentally and/or physically ready to go,鈥� 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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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Beth Harris, The Associated Press
