Dodgers gear up for another bullpen battle in Pirates finale

The Dodgers turn to their bullpen again tonight as they look to sweep the Pittsburgh Pirates, with right hander Mitch White tapped to handle the bulk of pitching duties.

White last pitched against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, giving up two runs and making 59 pitches over four innings in a low-scoring loss for L.A.

“Obviously I want to go a little longer,” White said in a post-game press conference after that game. “It was solid through the first three, and then in the fourth when we got a runner on, I kind of got out of sync. That’s something I’m going to work on.”

Though White hasn’t pitched more than four innings at a time in the big leagues, he turned in six scoreless innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City last month. The Dodgers have also been prepared to let him throw between 75 and 80 pitches in an outing, according to Mike DiGiovanna at the Los Angeles Times.

A well-rested bullpen will be on call for backup. Neftalí Féliz has had three days of rest, while Alex Vesia, Justin Bruihl, and Brusdar Graterol have each had a day off.

Corey Knebel, Phil Bickford, and Blake Treinen, meanwhile, each took on about an inning last night—allowing no runs—and will likely be among the last called into the game if needed.

JT Brubaker, who gave up 13 earned runs in his last two outings, will start the game for the Pirates. Four of the last five Dodger wins have been decided by a single run, and the team’s offense may be able to ease stress on their bullpen with some insurance runs if Brubaker’s downward trend holds.

Game info

Teams: Dodgers (74-46) vs. Pirates (42-78)

Location: Dodger Stadium

Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: SportsNet LA