Don Mattingly and Dodgers are gunning for home-field edge in first round

Presented with an unexpected opportunity to reclaim home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly says his team won’t be doing much resting in its final regular-season series of the season against the San Diego Padres.

A three-game losing streak by the New York Mets has opened the door for the Dodgers, who enter Friday night’s game with an identical record to the NL East champions of 89-70.

“We’re going to play to win,” Mattingly said. “You’ve seen our lineup. Something we’re trying to accomplish in these games, we’re going to play through them, and if we’ve got guys who are hurt or something like that, then they won’t play. But for the most part, we’re trying to ... put pressure on those guys to have to win.”

The Mets own the tiebreaker against the Dodgers, meaning Mattingly and company will need to gain a full game on their playoff opponents by the conclusion of their regular season finale on Sunday.

“Right now, for us, it would be nice just because of the fact that we have a chance to be home for a while and guys can get some reps and get settled in,” Mattingly said. “We do three [games] here, [plus] off days, so we’d be here for a good bit of time. But I think in general, just playing at home is an advantage.”

The Dodgers are 52-26 in Los Angeles -- the second-best home mark in the majors -- but 37-44 on the road. Mattingly wasn’t entirely sure of the reason for the disparity, but he did offer this:

“I think being comfortable -- not being in a hotel -- is a lot better than being in hotels.”