Dodgers Interview: Doc Reacts to Offensive Explosion, Bullpen Implosion
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers opened the Wild Card Round with a 10–5 win and Dave Roberts sounded equal parts pleased and frustrated. He praised Blake Snell’s seven innings, credited the game plan against Hunter Greene, and nudged his bullpen to stay on the front foot. He gave quick updates on Kiké Hernández and Tommy Edman, kept Shohei Ohtani’s pitching calendar vague, and underlined the value of early runs at home. Then he set the tone for Wednesday: same urgency, same edge.
“It sets us up really well,” Roberts said of Snell’s seven. “Blake was fantastic tonight. You could see he was in complete control. The fastball was great. The changeup was plus. Kind of mixing and matching and really in control the entire game.” He added, “I feel good getting him through seven and getting him on line. We’ve got work to do for this series, but he’ll be ready to go.”
The eighth was bumpy and the manager explained each lever. “Alex wasn’t sharp tonight,” he said. “Henríquez didn’t have any command. With that lane of right-handers I felt good about shortening Alex a little bit. You still get twenty-some pitches to get one out and then you follow up in a 10–2 ballgame with Edgardo in a lane I feel very confident in and he just wasn’t good tonight.” So he went to a stopper. “At that point you’ve got to get somebody else to stop the momentum. I felt having Dreyer on Elly was a good spot and fortunately he made pitches when he needed to.”
Roberts turned from the hiccup to the bats. “It was great,” he said. “A very well executed game plan. Teo was big tonight. Sho had a huge night. Kik does what he does in October and across the board we took good at-bats.” He tipped his cap to the opponent. “I still think Hunter is one of the really talented pitchers in the game, and for us to get to him like we did was pretty impressive.”
Health notes were straightforward. “Kik has some back tightness,” Roberts said. “We were just taking care of him in this game to get him ready for tomorrow and beyond. He’s playing tomorrow.” On Edman, the plan is day to day management. “It was just the ankle,” he said of lifting him. “It’s something that’s going to be ongoing. Whenever we can get him off it to get him ready for the next day, that’s what we’re going to do. At this point he’s limited to the infield.”
Ohtani’s October heartbeat drew a smile. “He lives for these moments,” Roberts said. “His focus gets more keen and the at-bat quality is better. That’s the reason why he signed to be with this ballclub, to play in games like this and showcase his talent. I expect really fun things this postseason out of Sho.” As for when he might pitch if there is no Game 3, Roberts kept it tight. “You’re getting ahead,” he said. “It would be one of the first two games, probably.”
The eighth inning also doubled as a teaching clip for the relievers. “That’s exactly right,” Roberts said when asked about attacking with a big lead. “When you’re on the attack those guys are on their heels with the lead we have. When you start being too fine and getting behind, you start giving them free bases. That’s how you can build innings and get momentum.” The usage reflects trust that must be earned. “If we don’t feel comfortable using certain guys with an eight-run lead, then we’ve got to think through some things,” he said. “As you pitch guys, you start to learn more about guys. That’s how it goes.”
He confirmed his long-man options are ready again. “Emmet will be available tomorrow,” Roberts said. “So will Tyler.”
Why did the bats feel so loose in a Game 1 that can tighten teams up. Roberts pointed to the first swing and the first zero. “The leadoff homer from Sho was big,” he said. “The shutdown inning from Blake was big. From the outset we had a really good game plan against Hunter and we didn’t miss pitches when he made mistakes. Teo’s hit was huge.”
If there is some secret to Teoscar Hernández and Kiké Hernández in the spotlight, Roberts kept it simple. “I think it’s the clutch gene,” he said. “They’re not afraid to fail. They like the spotlight. They’ve got a really good heartbeat for those big moments. Kik certainly likes the spotlight.”
The message after one win was consistent with the one before first pitch. Use the depth, manage the moments, and keep the pressure on. “We’re set up well,” Roberts said of Snell’s length and the rested late-inning crew behind him. “But we’ve got work to do for this series.” He liked how his team started the job. “Across the board we took good at-bats,” he said again. “Pretty impressive.” Then he left it there, ready for Wednesday, with his starter lined up, his bench in play, and his bullpen reminded to attack.
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