LOS ANGELES -- It's not how you start, it's how you finish, and the Dodgers put that approach to work on a nightly basis.

In some ways, the team works backward and the net effect is to shorten games so leads in the sixth inning are nearly as secure as those in the ninth, with the last out recorded.

At first glance, the easy read would decipher an offense that has been robust of late, producing a .292 team batting average over the last 30 days with 155 runs second -- both marks are second in the National League.

The result is 12 victories in the Dodgers' past 15 games.

But quietly going about its business and contributing every bit as much to the club's recent success has been a bullpen that can rival any within the division and possibly the entire league.

"The bullpen has been doing great," reliever Scott Proctor said. "We've got a lot of great arms there -- a lot of quality guys that can get the job done in any situation. Right now, we're rolling and we have to continue to make quality pitches."

Proctor struggled a bit in Wednesday's 12-1 blowout loss to the Mets, when he allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings of mopup duty, but he's partially excused upon entering the game facing a 10-0 deficit after the Mets had chased Dodgers starter Brad Penny.

The performance of the 'pen, though, has been otherwise impressive. Entering Wednesday, Dodgers relievers had posted a 0.96 ERA in the past 10 games while going 5-0 and limiting the opposition to a .176 batting average.

Particularly effective has been the back end, where closer Takashi Saito has converted five saves and posted a 1-1 record with a 1.76 ERA in 14 appearances. But his setup men have helped pave the way.

Left-hander Joe Beimel is 3-0 with an 0.75 ERA in his past 18 appearances and right-hander Jonathan Broxton is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 14 appearances.

"We came into this season knowing our bullpen was going to be one of our strengths," Beimel said. "Recently, when we've gone on this little winning streak that we're on, I think we've stepped it up a little bit."

The Mets left town after a three-game series and avoided a sweep by bullying Penny on Wednesday afternoon. New York also pushed around Hiroki Kuroda a bit, touching the Los Angeles starter for four runs and eight hits in a little more than three innings, but the bullpen held in check a Mets offense that has potential to put runs on the board.

They also were treated to the full complement.

On Monday, it was the bullpen by design as Beimel, Broxton and Saito each tossed a scoreless inning in relief of starter Chad Billingsley, who picked up his second win of the year.

But in Tuesday's come-from-behind 5-4 victory, the Mets were introduced to an electric performance by Hong-Chih Kuo, who not only threw 3 2/3 clutch scoreless innings, but also did not allow a hit and struck out eight.

Kuo's eight strikeouts were the most by a Dodgers pitcher in relief since Kevin Brown fanned nine in four innings in 2002.

And even in Wednesday's laugher, Chan Ho Park shut out the Mets and did not allow a hit in three innings of relief.

"They've got good stuff; they've got good guys coming out of the bullpen and it doesn't matter what the situation is," said Mets right fielder Ryan Church, who had five hits, including two homers, in the series. "They've got lefties and they've got righties. They're all pretty firm."

He's a former batting champion, but Dodgers manager Joe Torre stresses pitching with his ballclub, and while he defers to pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and bullpen coach Ken Howell in most matters concerning the relievers, he does have one basic rule.

"The only thing that I've really harped on as a manager is the bullpen guys get that first guy out," Torre said. "A lot of times you're going to come in during an inning, but even if you start an inning, that first guy out really makes it a lot less tedious."

Torre also said his current crop stands up favorably to some lights-out 'pens he had with the Yankees.

"With Broxton and Saito, those two guys, I've been spoiled. I was spoiled last year with [Joba] Chamberlain and Mariano [Rivera], that was pretty much slam dunk, too," Torre said. "In '96, when I had Mariano for two and [John] Wetteland for one, that was shortening the game and gives me less time to screw up."

Proctor said the Dodgers' bullpen is part family and part friendly rivalry. They pull for the guy that's on the hill, but are looking to one-up when it's their turn to take the ball. They also know that a bad outing is as likely as a hanging slider getting parked, so the common denominator is work.

"You have to take it to the last game of the year. Whether that is Game 7 of the World Series or Sept. 30," Proctor said. "You have to bust your hump every day."