Dodgers Interview: Doc Looks Ahead to First Pitch of (not quite) October
LOS ANGELES — Dave Roberts laid out the Dodgers’ thinking before Game 1 and kept it straightforward. He started with roster construction. “After much deliberation, looking at the short series, having a couple starters like (Emmet) Sheehan and (Tyler) Glasnow in the pen, we feel good about covering the innings,” he said of going with 11 pitchers and 15 position players. “Max (Muncy) coming off some lower body stuff, Tommy (Edman) with the ankle, and Will (Smith) feeling like he can be viable in a pinch hit spot, potentially catch coming into a game. So all those variables led us to the extra position player and kind of how we constructed that group.”
Health updates on Edman and Muncy were encouraging. “I feel good,” Roberts said. “Both guys took a handful of at-bats yesterday. They both came out of it well, feeling good, encouraged. There’s a lot of ways we can simulate at-bats, which they’ve done, and then also with the at-bats they took yesterday. So I feel good with where we’re at and the options I’ll have off the bench.”
He highlighted a role player who could influence tight innings. “Justin Dean has had a really nice year,” Roberts said. “I think he’s an 80 defender out in center field. He can come in and steal a base. The flexibility of somebody who can score on a base hit, steal a base, come in for defense in a plus game to tighten some things up is of benefit.”
Then he turned to the obvious hazard. “I think the pitfalls are easing your way into a series, certainly a very short series,” Roberts said. “A pitfall is facing Hunter Greene. He’s got a good arm. Really great competitor. But I do feel that just having the one day off is a benefit to us offensively. Don’t know how that’s going to play out tonight or tomorrow, but I think mentally, as a roster, we’re in a good spot.”
Will Smith’s status matters in every inning, and Roberts left the door open. “He is, the hitting, the throwing, he feels really good about,” Roberts said when asked about catching. “I think it’s a day-to-day thing. I’m not closing the door that he’s not going to start tomorrow, but I do feel that the floor of having him available to hit in any big spot was certainly worth having him on the roster. We’re going to leave that open as far as his availability to start.”
Two tough omissions came down to fit. “With (Michael) Conforto, where Muncy and Tommy are at physically, to have the extra infielder and then also having Will Smith’s availability off the bench, that’s a little bit how we came to that,” Roberts said. “Very difficult because it’s been really difficult for Michael, but he’s owned every kind of performance. He’s owned this performance. Hasn’t run away from it. He showed up to work every single day offensively, defensively. He’s one of my favorites and he’ll be ready if called upon. Hopefully we have a long run and we’re going to need him.”
“As far as (Anthony) Banda, very difficult decision as well,” Roberts continued. “Having the length of some starters and this is a very right-hand heavy team. Looking at the landscape of their team, who they hit for, there just would not be a lot of opportunities for Anthony. If we’re fortunate enough to get to the next round, he’ll be in there versus the Phillies.”
Late-game management will flex with the moment. “I’ve got some clarity,” Roberts said about the ninth. “I do think that if a guy’s throwing the baseball well, and they have more bullets, then I feel good about them continuing. I have probably three or four guys I feel really comfortable finishing the game for us.”
Glasnow in relief is real. “Yeah, Glas is an option,” Roberts told us. “He’s ready for whatever we ask of him. It’s high-octane stuff and if we deploy him and he’s throwing the baseball well, I see no reason why he wouldn’t continue. I don’t know when or what situation. It’s not even a particular run, but we’ll see.” He addressed the other big name, too. “On Ohtani in the bullpen, I don’t think so,” he said. “Never say never, but I don’t think so.”
The manager circled back to the group’s state of mind. “Momentum is real,” he said. “It’s not everything. Whether it’s teams finding their way into the postseason to then win the World Series, or some teams finishing hot and remaining hot. In a particular game, I do believe in a postseason game momentum is real and how you kind of manage it to not let it spiral.” He likes where this one starts. “I do love being at home because a lot of times that’s what perpetuates it, the home crowd, the energy,” Roberts said. “How you manage it, how the players manage it, and I do think having experience, which we have a lot of guys that have postseason experience, can sort of manage big spots.”
Roster math, matchup plans, and contingency arms all landed on one main point. “We feel good about covering the innings,” Roberts said earlier. “We have our best guys and, you know, Clayton’s one of those guys, but he pitched on Sunday. I feel good with how we’re equipped.”
And the first hurdle is standing on the visiting mound. “Facing Hunter Greene,” Roberts said, matter of fact. “He’s got a good arm. Really great competitor.” The Dodgers know the assignment. Keep the edges sharp, make the right moves late, and use the depth they built for a short series where every out is leverage. As Roberts put it, “We’re in a good spot.”
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