The Dodgers will get a second chance to advance to the World Series Sunday when they face the New York Mets in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium.
Their first chance Friday ended in a 12-6 loss at Citi Field in New York as starter Jack Flaherty allowed eight runs in three innings, as the Dodgers’ lead in the best-of-seven series dropped to three games to two.
The lack of healthy starting pitchers has forced manager Dave Roberts to opt for a bullpen game “similar to what we did in Game 2 with the expectation of better execution,” he said.
“How we use the guys, I’m not sure yet,” Roberts said at a workout day news conference. “A lot of it is dictated on how they construct the lineup, but it’s an all-hands-on-deck situation. 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.”
When asked about if having a similar pitching plan to Game 2 meant trying to get “bulk innings from Landon Knack or someone else early in the game to bridge to your higher leverage guys later? Or could you be more aggressive with those guys earlier than last time?” Roberts replied, “I think we can be a little bit more aggressive.”
The Dodgers lost Game 2 of the NLCS 7-3 on Monday with Knack, the second of their five pitchers, allowing five runs in the second inning.
Eight pitchers, including Knack, limited the San Diego Padres to seven hits in an 8-0 victory Oct. 9 in Game 4 of a National League Division Series as the Dodgers avoided postseason elimination and forced a decisive fifth game which they won 2-0.
“I’ve always felt that a bullpen game gives you a really good chance to prevent runs,” Roberts said. “There’s a cost afterward. You’re talking about regular-season games typically. The win/loss, the offense scoring matters too.”
Right-hander Michael Kopech will be the Dodgers’ starting pitcher. He pitched a perfect fifth inning with one strikeout and was credited with the victory in the 8-0 victory Wednesday in Game 3.
Freddie Freeman was not in Sunday’s lineup, which was released shortly after noon. Max Muncy was shifted from third base to replace Freeman at first base and moved up two spots in the batting order to fifth.
Kiké Hernandez, who played second base Friday, will replace Muncy at third. Chris Taylor, who most recently played in Thursday’s Game 4, will play second base and bat ninth.
Freeman has one hit in his last 16 at-bats over four games and was hitless in five at-bats Friday, striking out twice. Freeman did not play in Thursday’s 10-2 victory because of a sprained right ankle sustained on Sept. 26.
“I do think the swing is compromised because of the ankle and he’s grinding,” Roberts said.
When asked Saturday if it has “gotten to the point where you feel, as noble as his effort is, that he’s hurting the team by being in there?” Roberts replied, “I think that one component, if you’re looking at the results of the last handful of at-bats, you could argue that point. But I could also argue that him doing whatever he can to be on the field and to post, I think, speaks loudly in that clubhouse.
“So then the decision is … net-sum, what makes the most sense to win tomorrow. And that’s the decision we’ll make together. But I’m not going to compromise his health or certainly winning a game tomorrow if he’s not mentally and/or physically ready to go.”
Teoscar Hernández is hitless in 18 at-bats in the NLCS, which Roberts attributed to his missing fastballs.
Left-hander Sean Manaea is set to start for the Mets.
Manaea (2-0) was the winning pitcher in Game 2, allowing three runs, two earned, in five innings, with seven strike outs and four walks.
New York is 2-1 in Manaea’s postseason starts and were 23-9 in his regular-season starts, including a 9-4 victory over the Dodgers on April 19 at Dodger Stadium when he did not figure in the decision.
Including the postseason, Manaea is 2-5 with a 6.75 ERA in 12 lifetime appearances against the Dodgers.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is 2-for-10 for a .200 batting average against Manaea, with one RBI. Ohtani was 0-for-3 against Manaea on Monday, striking out twice.
History remains on the Dodgers side. Teams with 3-2 leads in a best-of-seven series go on to win the series 79 of 114 times, 69.3%, according to Elias Sports Bureau, the official statistician of Major League Baseball. Teams with 3-1 leads in a best-of-seven series go on to win the series 80 of 94 times, 85.1%
The 5:08 p.m. game will be televised by FS1.
The Dodgers have not won a pennant-clinching game at Dodger Stadium since 1988 when they defeated the Mets, 6-0, with Orel Hershiser pitching a five-hitter. Hershiser, now a Dodgers broadcaster, will throw the ceremonial first pitch if a Game 7 is necessary Monday.
Bill Russell, who spent 33 seasons in the Dodgers organization as a player, coach and manager, will throw Sunday’s ceremonial first pitch.
“It’s always fun to clinch, but to be able to do it at home is something really special,” Roberts said.