The Dodgers are still working on the pitching plan for NLDS vs. Mets

The players' voices were still hoarse. The clubhouse carpet was still sticky.

But less than 24 hours after an alcohol-soaked National League Division Series celebration Friday night, the Dodgers were back at Chavez Ravine on Saturday and turned their focus to Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the New York Mets on Sunday night.

“We have to play good baseball,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Come with the same intensity, focus and energy as you did in this last series.”

As with their opening series against the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers' biggest questions in the best-of-seven NLCS revolve around the pitching staff.

And on that note, Saturday brought some bad news.

It's “highly unlikely” that top left-hander Alex Vesia is on the NLCS roster, Roberts said after suffering an intercostal injury in Game 5 on Friday.

This development came with the fact that the Dodgers cannot utilize their bullpen as much in a seven-game series as they could in the five-game NLDS.

“I have to rely on other guys to cover some innings,” Roberts said.

In other words, the Dodgers will need more from their undermanned starting rotation.

Aside from starting Jack Flaherty in Sunday's opener, the Dodgers aren't sure what their pitching plan will look like beyond that.

“We have a lot of good options,” Roberts said. “But right now everything is on the table for Game 2.”

One factor the Dodgers will have to contend with is Yoshinobu Yamamoto's schedule.

While the Japanese rookie right-hander dominated five scoreless innings in Game 5, he will likely pitch just once in the NLCS – he is currently scheduled for Game 4 – as the team continues to prioritize the five days' rest routine he has had all year .

“Any deviation would be a short break (for him),” Roberts said. “He didn’t do that.”

That leaves a few options for Games 2 and 3.

Walker Buehler is next in the rotation after Flaherty, although a bullpen game early in the series could also be appealing.

Landon Knack was the fourth starter on the NLDS roster, but was used for only one inning of relief against the Padres at the end of a Game 4 blowout.

Tony Gonsolin also remains “in the mix,” Roberts said, but appears to be more of a backup alternative after spending the entire regular season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

“We have to be firmly convinced that he is the right decision if we want to activate him,” said Roberts.

Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler delivers in Game 3 of the NLDS on October 8th.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Therefore, the most logical plan seems to be to start Buehler in either Game 2 or 3 and use a bullpen game (perhaps one with more work from Knack) in the other.

As of Saturday, however, no final decision had been made – or at least publicly announced.

What would help is a strong start in Game 1 from Flaherty, the strong trade deadline acquisition who struggled in his only NLDS appearance, giving up four runs in 5 ⅓ innings in Game 2.

As a Los Angeles native, Flaherty's most vivid memories of attending Dodger games as a child are – appropriately enough – from the Dodgers' 2015 NLDS against the Mets, including Game 2 when Chase Utley tripped Ruben Tejada on a hard slide at second base broke.

As was the case in this year's divisional round, there were heated emotions in last week's Dodgers-Padres series. Flaherty was in the middle of the most controversial exchange when he traded with Manny Machado in Game 2 after hitting Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch and saw Machado throw a ball into the Dodgers' dugout the following inning.

Looking back on his start in Game 2 on Saturday, Flaherty acknowledged that he “tried to do too much and let emotions get in the way” during his outing – his fourth straight return to the regular season and at least three He failed to score in the third of those four runs to end the sixth inning.

“From now on,” he said, his mindset is: “Don’t try to be perfect, just go out there and showcase my game and let the results happen… and make sure I’m just mentally locked in and focused.” am.”

The Dodgers will need him next Sunday night.

In a series where the starters have to carry a greater load, it will be up to him to set the tone of the NLCS.