This year’s edition of the Championship Series comes with an added layer of strategy.
Thursday was the only off day of the series. There will be no travel day in between Games 5 and 6 — if those games are deemed necessary. It will make for an uncomfortable turnaround on Monday and some interesting bullpen maneuvering that we haven’t seen in recent postseasons.
In typical years, teams usually play a maximum of three days in a row, allowing for managers to shorten their bullpens and rely heavily on their best arms.
The back end of the Padres bullpen in particular is on a hot streak.