Playoff bullpen not set

SAN FRANCISCO — As Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen created distress for himself Saturday afternoon, Alex Wood headed to the bullpen.

Jansen was pitching in a nonsave situation in the eighth inning of a 3-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Jansen walked two of the first four batters he faced and gave up a hit to a third. With the bases loaded, Manager Dave Roberts tabbed Wood, who has pitched three times in relief since returning from midseason elbow surgery, to face left-handed batter Joe Panik, due up in three batters.

The moment never arrived. Jansen struck out the next two hitters to end the inning. But Roberts plans to create an opportunity for Wood to appear in Sunday’s regular-season finale, part of an audition for the postseason bullpen.

“Alex will certainly pitch tomorrow,” Roberts said.

Roberts also expected to use Pedro Baez, Joe Blanton and Grant Dayton in the finale. All three are considered locks for the National League division series roster, as the trio that forms a bridge to Jansen in the ninth. But the rest of the bullpen is still something of a mystery.

Julio Urias, the 20-year-old rookie, is expected to be on the roster, though his role as either a reliever or the Game 4 starter is undetermined. Brandon McCarthy, the veteran starting pitcher, flunked a relief audition when he gave up six runs without recording an out on Friday night.

Wood has been more effective in relief. In three appearances, he has struck out two and given up one hit. The team could use him as a specialist for left-handed hitters, or allow him to throw full innings. Before his return on Sept. 21, Wood had not pitched since May 30 because of an elbow impingement and a debridement operation later in the summer.

The Dodgers could take as many as four left-handed pitchers in their bullpen.