Dodgers NLDS Game 5: Bullpen game possible, Yoshinobu Yamamoto TBD

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers had so much success with a bullpen game in Game 4 of the National League Division Series that they could bounce back in a winner-take-all Game 5 against the Padres in right field on Friday night at Dodger Stadium the Mets to compete in the NLCS.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be on five days' rest after allowing five runs in just three innings in his start in Game 1 last Saturday at Dodger Stadium. He could be there for Game 5, but not necessarily in the starting lineup.

“We have six or seven substitutes available, so I'm happy with the substitute coverage. How Yoshinobu is a part of that is something we're still talking about,” manager Dave Roberts said before Thursday's free practice at Dodger Stadium. “The guys will play catch, we'll see how they feel, which will ultimately give us more information about who's taking the brunt of the game and who's starting the game. “I just feel like (Yamamoto) is doing it all will be what we ask for.”

In an elimination game Wednesday in San Diego, the Dodgers used all seven high-leverage relievers on the roster to cover the first eight innings, followed by Landon Knack in the ninth inning to complete an 8-0 shutout over the Padres, the tied the series and was, by several orders of magnitude, the Dodgers' best pitching game in the series.

With seven relievers the team relies on in critical situations, the Dodgers have a variety of options at certain spots, with Game 4 serving as a proof of concept.

“I feel like we can kind of combine some things as far as lanes and runs because, again, the neutrality and confidence that our pen exudes,” Roberts said. “After doing so well with what they did last night, everyone is pretty confident heading into Game 5.”

The structure of the postseason schedule also helps with such a decision. So far, they haven't played more than two days in a row in the best-of-5 NLDS and will have an off day not only on Thursday before Game 5, but also on Saturday before the start of the NLCS, should the Dodgers move up before.

It's a fascinating decision with potential repercussions. On the one hand, the Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract in December, the largest contract ever for a pitcher. Still, the Dodgers might decide he's not their best option to start in a win-or-go-home game with regular rest.

The extenuating circumstances are that Yamamoto missed nearly three months on the injured list with a right rotator cuff strain and has lasted longer than four innings only once in his five starts since returning. Additionally, the Padres have scored 10 runs in their three first innings against him and have scored a total of 13 runs in nine innings this season. Maybe that's just a bad combination.

Since Yamamoto will rest no less than five days this postseason, the fact that he starts on Friday or pitches him in multiple innings means he will only do so once in the NLCS. if the Dodgers win. If Yamamoto does actually pitch in Game 5, it's likely he'll be on a short leash anyway, with multiple replacements standing by.

But running a bullpen game in Game 5 would allow the team to start Jack Flaherty and Yamamoto four times in the NLCS, which Roberts admitted Thursday was part of the calculation. During the best-of-7 LCS round, the three middle games in a row place a greater burden on the heavy bullpen operation, with fewer days of rest to provide relief for the relievers as in the Division Series.

Flaherty allowed four runs in a loss in Game 2 last Sunday at Dodger Stadium, although his 5⅓ innings marked the longest of the Dodgers' last 19 postseason starts, dating back to the 2021 NLDS. Only one of those runs was allowed after the second inning, after which Flaherty kept the Dodgers reasonably close until the Padres hit four home runs in the final two innings, making the final score even more lopsided.

He would take four days off for Game 5 on Friday, but would probably only play if things get difficult.

“I don’t know what that will look like, but I think in an elimination game, everyone will be part of the plan,” Roberts said. “Our only focus is tomorrow and finding the best pitchers to prevent runs tomorrow and putting together a lineup that gives us the best chance to win.”