The cost of the Dodgers’ reluctance to use their top relievers in “minus” games, as manager Dave Roberts likes to say, became clear in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series.

A small early-game deficit ballooned into an insurmountable seven-run hole when the Dodgers brought in Jack Flaherty for a five-run third inning. Although the offense responded by scoring five times afterward, the New York Mets’ lead had become too big for the Dodgers to pull off a come-from-behind victory.

“You have to be a little steadfast in the way you use your pitchers,” Roberts argued. “Because at the end of the day it’s about winning four games in a seven-game series.”

And as the NLCS returns to Los Angeles, the Dodgers are counting on that prudent bullpen management to deliver pennant-clinching benefits.

The Dodgers need just one more win to reach the World Series and will play a bullpen game in Sunday’s Game 6, Roberts confirmed during Saturday’s off-day. The hope is that the bullpen balls they saved in Game 5 – and a similar loss in Game 2 – will pay off at Dodger Stadium.

Even though the Dodgers’ starting pitchers from this series (including Landon Knack in Game 2, which followed an opener) have combined for just 21 ⅓ innings in the first five games, the team’s most trusted options in the bullpen have largely been spared .

Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips and Daniel Hudson have each thrown just once in this series. Anthony Banda has thrown just 20 pitches in two appearances. Blake Treinen has 2 ⅓ innings in two games, but has only faced one batter twice in that span: Mets short stop Francisco Lindor.

Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen delivers during Game 3 of the NLCS against the Mets on Wednesday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

It means that entering Game 6, the Dodgers’ top relief arms will not only be new, but relatively unknown to the Mets’ lineup — a potentially impactful byproduct of the Dodgers’ decision to essentially punt on their two losses in the past week.

Since 2019, hitters in the postseason have a .275 batting average and a .483 slugging percentage when facing relief pitchers for the third time in a series, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs. By comparison, hitters in the postseason have hit just .232 with an overall percentage of .392 over the same period.

This is a dynamic the Dodgers are hoping for over the next two days, when their relievers will likely get most – if not all – of Game 6 and could be needed for more big innings behind starter Walker Buehler in Game 7, if the series is won. there.

“We’re a little protected from some of their guys in the lineup,” Phillips said. “And I think the rest is probably more important, keeping our guys fresh for tomorrow and a Game 7 if necessary. But these two things are hopefully in our favor.”

What exactly the Dodgers’ Game 6 pitching plan will look like remains unclear. Roberts said it could be similar to Game 2, but he’ll be more willing to get aggressive with his higher-leverage arms earlier in the game.

“It’s a matter of all hands on deck,” Roberts said. “I’ll take a look tomorrow.”

What is clear, however, is the Dodgers’ comfort level depending on the bullpen at the most critical point of the season.

It worked in Game 4 of the NL Division Series, when the Dodgers were eliminated. The unit was also integral to each of the club’s other five victories in October. Overall, Dodgers relievers have a 2.94 ERA in the playoffs. And their highest-stakes fivesome – Treinen, Phillips, Kopech, Hudson and Banda – were virtually flawless, combining for a whopping 23 ⅔ scoreless innings.

Given the club’s conservative use of these five of late, they should be ready to continue that dominance for the rest of this series.

The Dodgers will need that, of course; effectively putting them in control of the season after deciding not to pursue comeback wins more aggressively in their two losses to the Mets in this series.

“I think we’ve kind of built that trust and that parity in the bullpen games over the last few seasons,” Phillips said. “Bullpen games are part of how we run things here. We’re certainly excited about the possibility of having a piece in it tomorrow.

Freddie Freeman’s status

It remains unclear whether first baseman Freddie Freeman, who has had just one hit in his last 15 at-bats while continuing to battle a sprained ankle, will be in the lineup for Game 6.

After Freeman’s hitless — and clearly limited — performance in Game 5, Roberts said sitting the former MVP was “certainly an option.” However, Roberts still had to make a final decision on Saturday afternoon.

“I’m not going to jeopardize his health, or certainly not win a game tomorrow, if he’s not mentally and/or physically ready to go,” Roberts said.