Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — In the aftermath of the Dodgers’ 7-3 loss to the Mets in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS), manager Dave Roberts addressed the team’s somewhat perplexing bullpen strategy and its impact on the game. The loss evened the series at 1-1, with Roberts discussing both the rationale behind his decisions and the challenges of using a bullpen game in a high-stakes playoff environment.
Roberts began by explaining the early struggles of the pitching staff, particularly the difficulties encountered in the second inning by rookie Landon Knack. “I just felt today [Knack] wasn’t sharp,” he said. “Specifically, the secondary [pitches]… there was a bad walk in there to Alvarez. You get [Tyrone] Taylor 0-2, and you hang a breaking ball for the double.” Roberts continued to break down the pivotal inning, pointing out missed opportunities to minimize damage. “You get count leverage, you got [Mark] Vientos 1-2, and… you make a mistake with your heater, and then, you know, that was a big hit.”
Despite the early struggles, Roberts made it clear that the team had always intended to rely on Knack to cover a significant portion of the game. “It was the plan to go to him and, you know, take down the most outs tonight,” he explained. The Dodgers manager acknowledged the difficulty of making in-game adjustments given the circumstances, stating, “In that situation, you still got to be able to finish the game… you have a guy on the mound that has to eat up innings.”
When asked about the possibility of bringing in high-leverage relievers earlier in the game, Roberts clarified why that wasn’t a realistic option. “You go to anyone else, we’re not going to be able to finish the game,” he said. “As far as kind of where we’re at, it never feels good losing, but to feel that you’ve got your leverage guys ready to go for the next three games, I feel really good about that.” He added that the efforts of the bullpen, including pitchers like Brent Honeywell and Edgardo Henriquez, helped limit the damage and set the team up better for the upcoming games. “It was as least costly as it could be because of what Honeywell did, what Banda and Henriquez did,” Roberts noted.
The Dodgers’ bullpen strategy in Game 2 contrasted with their approach during a similar situation in the division series, where Roberts had used high-leverage relievers earlier in the game. When asked about the difference, Roberts pointed to roster limitations. “Today, what was different is we don’t have [Alex] Vesia… Hudson was down,” he said, noting that the unavailability of key relievers made it necessary for Knack to pitch multiple innings. “That’s probably the biggest kind of impetus for having to or knowing you’re going to have to take some outs from Knack.”
The decision to use Knack as a long reliever and preserve the high-leverage bullpen arms for later in the series was a calculated risk. Roberts acknowledged the inherent difficulty of deploying a bullpen game, especially in October. “The bullpen game works so well in [Game 4 of the NLDS],” he said. “Today does demonstrate… the difficulty of what you’re trying to accomplish—the low margin for error.” He admitted that using a bullpen game can be problematic when the team is shorthanded, adding, “When you’re on the margins and you lose a couple of guys, and guys aren’t available, you’ve got to figure out how to get outs somehow.”
The margin for error was evident, as the Dodgers struggled to contain the Mets’ offense. Roberts acknowledged the fine line between pushing the bullpen to its limits and maintaining resources for the rest of the series. “You’ve got to appreciate the cost of the next games,” he said, noting the importance of not exhausting key relievers in a non-elimination game. “This isn’t a winner-take-all game; it’s not a three-game series, so those are things that I have to be mindful of.”
The Dodgers’ manager also addressed the absence of reliever Daniel Hudson, who was unavailable due to rest concerns. “He should be ready to go for Game 3,” Roberts assured. With Hudson expected to return and Walker Buehler slated to start the next game, Roberts expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back with a fresh bullpen.
Ultimately, while the bullpen’s performance in Game 2 may not have gone as planned, Roberts maintained a long-term view, prioritizing the health and availability of key relievers for the remainder of the series. “To feel that you’ve got your leverage guys ready to go for the next three games, I feel really good about that,” he reiterated.
As the series shifts to a pivotal Game 3, the Dodgers will look to regroup with their top arms ready for action, knowing that navigating a bullpen game is never easy in the postseason but remains a necessary challenge in modern baseball.
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