Cody Snavely
After a thrilling game one win in the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to keep the good vibes rolling with today’s mid-day postseason game.
After getting a seven-inning shutout performance from right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty, it set up the Dodgers for a bullpen game today, as Dodgers manager Dave Robert alluded would happen if the starting pitching was great.
It will be the Dodgers’ second bullpen game this postseason, and the first one, as we remember, could not have gone better. The Dodgers pitched nine scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres in game four of the National League Division Series to force a winner-take-all game five.
The Dodgers’ pitching has been phenomenal over the last three games, with back-to-back-to-back shutouts. They have tied the Major League Baseball postseason record with thirty-three consecutive scoreless innings.
The New York Mets look to split the series before they head back to Queens for the next three games. After a poor offensive showing from top to bottom, they want to attack a Dodgers bullpen that has been used heavily this postseason, with 26.1 innings.
69% of the previous fifty-four NLCS game one winner went on to win the series, and the Dodgers look to keep that trend going heading into today’s game. They want to go up two games in the series and secure their third postseason win in a row.
On the rubber
Ryan Brasier (1-0, 4.91 ERA) vs Sean Manaea (1-0, 2.25 ERA)
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Brasier, who also started game four of the National League Division Series this past Wednesday, is kicking off the bullpen for the Dodgers today.
With Flaherty able to go seven innings and the Dodgers dropping nine runs on the New York Mets pitching staff, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was able to avoid using his high-leverage arms, opting to use Daniel Hudson and Ben Casparius for the final two innings of yesterday’s win.
However, all bets are off for today’s game, especially with tomorrow being tomorrow’s off day, as the teams travel back to New York City for the next three games at Citi Field. So for today’s game expect to see a combination of arms such as Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, and Blake Treinen among others.
If the Dodgers get another big lead, they could opt to use either Landon Knack, Ben Casparius, or Brent Honeywell Jr. to eat up a bulk of innings to keep their arms fresh and ready for games three and four. The Dodgers hope to go for the knockout blow in Queens.
On the rubber for the New York Mets is left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea, who so far this postseason is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA.
The Dodgers have seen Manaea exceptionally well throughout his big league career. In eleven appearances versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, the lefty is 1-5 with a 7.09 ERA and forty-two strikeouts.
Despite having a respectable October so far in his career, Manaea has been less than stellar in the postseason with a 1-3 record and 7.32 ERA in five postseason appearances.
It is the first time this postseason that the Mets have been behind in a series. They were up on both the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild-card round and the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series.
Who to watch?
Mookie Betts has been a player I have picked multiple times this October to watch, and for good reason, as the unproductive postseason narrative is growing smaller day by day.
Betts has had very good career numbers against lefty Sean Manaea, going 10-for-32 with seven extra-base hits, including three home runs.
Betts was 1-for-4 in yesterday’s game but did get three RBIs on a bases-clearing double, extending the Dodgers’ lead to nine. The offense as it has all season goes when Betts does and with him swinging a hot bat since game three of the NLDS expect him to keep getting opportunities against this underwhelming Mets pitching staff.
However, another player who could have a big game with a lefty on the mound is rookie Andy Pages, who is slated to get the start today in the outfield. Pages has hit left-handed pitching well this season with a .357/.396/.520 slash line, a .907 OPS, and a 157 wRC+.
As for the Mets, they will likely try to ambush the Dodgers early and disrupt their bullpen game, and one guy that could make a difference being a switch hitter is National League Most Valuable Player candidate Francisco Lindor.
Lindor was kept quiet in yesterday’s loss for the New York Mets, going 0-for-3 with one strikeout and a walk, but has a .801 OPS this postseason, and with him being the leadoff hitter, can set the tone early against righty Ryan Brasier, who Lindor is 1-for-5 off of in his career.
Where to watch
The National League postseason will be exclusively broadcast on Fox Sports One (FS1) or Fox all the way up until the World Series.
Dodgers play-by-play broadcast announcer Joe Davis will join Atlanta Braves legend John Smoltz on the call, as this series will be broadcast by the primetime Fox baseball crew.
First pitch for game five is set for 1:08 PM PT at Chavez Ravine.
Betting Odds
The Mets have been listed as +135 moneyline underdogs in this matchup with the Dodgers (-161). Los Angeles is the run-line favorite (-1.5). The game’s total has been listed at 8 runs.
Los Angeles is favored in this one with a 58% win probability compared to the New York Mets 42%.
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