Corbin Carroll is coasting - The Athletic

(Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

The final frames of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series offered a blueprint for how the two managers intend to navigate Game 7. In a 5-1 victory, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo leaned upon the foursome he will likely deploy again on Tuesday evening at Citizens Bank Park. And Phillies manager Rob Thomson kept holstered the quartet likely to take the stage for the series finale.

Both managers used the same rhetoric after the game. “For me, Game 7, it’s, like, all hands on deck,” Lovullo said. “Anything is possible.” Thomson echoed him. “It’s going to be all hands on deck,” he said. But the readiness of relievers will play a particularly prominent role in this Game 7. The marquee will advertise the matchup between Philadelphia starter Ranger Suárez and Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt. Yet the bullpens are likely to be activated early, as each club scrambles to capture the National League pennant.

So which hands matter most?

Lovullo has favored the same group of relievers since his 84-win club started mowing down opponents this October. Behind closer Paul Sewald comes setup man Kevin Ginkel plus the duo of veteran right-hander Ryan Thompson and rookie lefty Andrew Saalfrank. The group combined for four scoreless innings on Monday.

Thomson has churned through several permutations of his high-leverage group. Heading into Tuesday, it appears he will trust lefty José Alvarado, righty Jeff Hoffman, lefty Matt Strahm and righty Seranthony Domínguez. All four received the night off Monday. At different stages of this postseason, Thomson has used veteran Craig Kimbrel and rookie Orion Kerkering in crucial spots. Recent stumbles have led to demotions.

Read the full story here.