Dodgers Interview: Doc Praises Casparius & Pen after Dramatic Win

LOS ANGELES — After the Dodgers’ dramatic 6–5 walk-off win over the Mets on Tuesday night, manager Dave Roberts had high praise for several players who bounced back from recent adversity—including Tanner Scott, Max Muncy, and rookie Ben Casparius. In a game that required resilience up and down the roster, Roberts saw the kind of grit he believes will carry this team deep into October.

“Very encouraging,” Roberts said of the win. “You look at what our pen did tonight—covering some of those valuable innings with really no margin—and obviously you mentioned Max and how he’s been going through it. The first six weeks of the season offensively, and then really has hit his stride the last 30-plus days. He’s playing as well as anybody in the batter’s box.”

Muncy’s two home runs—including a game-tying shot in the ninth—redeemed an earlier throwing error that had opened the door for the Mets to take a 5–4 lead. Roberts commended Muncy’s mental toughness: “He’s had to go through some adversities. It certainly hasn’t been linear for him… He’s built a nice, hard shell… and for him to respond that way and to block out the error he made in that fifth inning was big.”

Roberts also acknowledged that Muncy’s hot streak has come on the heels of mechanical adjustments. “I just liked his at-bat quality,” Roberts said. “Now you look at the stat line, it’s all lining up the way that it should. Hopefully with this swing, it’s a more manageable and consistent one that we can sustain.”

But just as impressive, in Roberts’ view, was Tanner Scott’s redemption story. Just 48 hours after blowing a lead in extra innings, Scott returned to the mound in a near-identical situation and shut the Mets down with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.

“I think I’ve shown that I’m going to kind of continue to stick with guys and trust them,” Roberts said. “In this particular instance, Connor McGuiness and Mark Prior did a great job with some things we cleaned up mechanically that [Scott] really took to. The fastball had more life, the slider had swing-and-miss to it, which we haven’t consistently seen. Connor [McGuiness] certainly deserves a lot of credit for that.”

When it came to Clayton Kershaw, who allowed five runs (three earned) over 4.2 innings, Roberts was both realistic and optimistic. “You just don’t see the misses with the curveball like you saw tonight,” he admitted. “The teethiness of the slider just isn’t there right now… But I think to expect him to be locked in after not pitching for quite some time is unrealistic.”

Roberts said he’s focused on managing Kershaw wisely moving forward. “To expect him to go six or seven innings each time—I don’t think that’s expected of him anymore,” he explained. “But I’m going to bet on him. His experience and his will to win still matter. He’s going to get some leash to find his way.”

One player who continues to exceed expectations is Ben Casparius. The rookie reliever entered in the fifth inning with two runners on and got the Dodgers out of the jam, then added two more scoreless frames to keep the game within reach. Roberts didn’t hold back his appreciation.

“We don’t win this game tonight without Ben,” Roberts said. “He pitched some big innings, kept us in the ball game. He’s neutral—gets left and right out. Resilient. Durable. He’s had to grow up really quickly for us and he’s got the respect of his teammates. He doesn’t run from moments, which is really good to see from a young ballplayer.”

As the Dodgers continue their push through the summer, Tuesday’s win wasn’t just about Freeman’s walk-off or Muncy’s fireworks. It was about a team that refused to let recent struggles define them—and a manager who believes in their ability to rise, again and again.

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