Pressure rests on Sean Manaeas shoulders with Mets bullpen running on fumes

LOS ANGELES — When last seen on the mound, Sean Manaea was handling the difficult part of the Dodgers lineup and giving his team a chance to even the NLCS. But the rarest of commodities in this series has been the starting pitcher who works deep into the game and alleviates pressure on the bullpen. Even in his respectable Game 2 performance, the Mets left-hander wasn’t that guy: Manaea lasted only five innings on Monday, leaving manager Carlos Mendoza’s bullpen to walk a tightrope in the late innings. The NLCS will resume Sunday night at Dodger Stadium with Game 6 — the Dodgers lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series — and to this point the Mets haven’t gotten a starting pitcher beyond five innings.It’s a streak they hope to snap, especially after a Game 5 in which Mendoza exhausted his top relief options. “We are asking a lot from some of the guys out of the bullpen,” Mendoza said. The manager noted that Ryne Stanek’s superb outing Friday, when he gave the Mets 2 ¹/₃ innings in relief and allowed one run, marked the first time since 2017 he pitched in parts of three innings.

Reed Garrett’s pitch count (31) over one inning was another number that caught Mendoza’s attention.Edwin Diaz was needed for the final six outs — hardly the ideal scenario. One reason Manaea established himself as an ace for the Mets in the second half of the regular season was his ability to work deeper into games.

The left-hander had a stretch of eight straight starts beginning in August in which he lasted at least 6 ²/₃ innings. But the postseason is a different animal.Twice in his three October starts, Manaea lasted only five innings.

The exception was the gem he pitched in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Phillies in which he allowed one earned run over seven innings. The Mets can feel good about the fact that if the series extends to a Game 7 on Monday, another top starting pitcher in Luis Severino will be on full rest.But Mendoza also acknowledged a...