Dodgers Interview: Miggy Ro on Staying Ready for the Series
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers took the field for an afternoon workout at Chavez Ravine with one goal in mind and a whole city buzzing. At that point, they didn’t know who was coming out of the ALCS. Now we do: Toronto. The plan hasn’t changed. Four more wins.
Miguel Rojas put it plainly: “All we’re trying to do is get four more wins to win a World Series. Last year with the bye you’re trying to get through one more month of baseball and get guys healthy. I think everybody’s healthy right now and in a really good place to approach these last seven games of the year. We’re doing everything we can to stay locked in, stay prepared, and be ready for whoever we have to face on Friday.”
He said the team kept one eye on the AL while they worked. “We were watching while we were at practice,” Rojas said. “We have to pay attention to what’s going on and how they’re playing, but we’re going to have time to prepare for whoever we have to play.” The off days were structured, not soft. “We had a full off day after we clinched and then yesterday was our first day here. We had a bunch of live BPs, defensive work. Everybody’s doing their own thing to be ready,” he said. “Last year we realized that continuing to work every single day and keeping your body on the same rhythm as September matters.”
For Rojas, the mindset is tighter this time around. “The difference is everybody’s locked in on winning the World Series and we’re really close,” he said. “Winning four more games is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter if you’re tired. You should be doing anything you can to be ready.” He added that the room’s focus shows up in the way they celebrate. “We had moments during the season where someone sent a group text saying we’ve got a really good opportunity to do something big for us, for the city, for the organization, for baseball,” he said. “Now it’s here. We’re going to give it everything we have. You can see it in the reaction to the last win. The celebration wasn’t even there because everybody is consumed with winning a World Series. That’s the only celebration we really want.”
The dynasty talk floated in, and Rojas didn’t duck it. “There were moments in the season we talked about it,” he said. “It was a really good opportunity three months ago, but now it’s in front of us. Everybody in this clubhouse is looking for the same thing.” As for the opponent question that kept popping up before the Jays clinched, he kept it cautious. “We’ve faced Seattle at different times of the year,” he said. “We’ve never faced them on this stage and we didn’t even know if we were going to face them.” Now it’s Toronto, and the checklist remains the same.
Rojas also gave a fun peek into bullpen culture, specifically the closer Roki Sasaki’s walk-out, Báilalo, Rocky. “The song fits,” he said with a grin. “Around spring training I played it for him every day in the weight room. I wanted him to use it. He didn’t at the beginning, but I thought it would be huge for the fans and the vibe in the dugout. Now that he’s a closer, even better, because you can hear it at the most important part of the game.” He laughed about the lyrics. “I think he understands it. It’s not that hard,” he said. “Has he danced to it? I don’t remember, but I’ll make him dance if we win the World Series. He can pitch, he can throw 100, he can lift his leg to his face. He can dance for sure.”
The daily grind continues even with a week to fill. “We’re doing the same thing we’ve been doing the last month,” Rojas said. “As soon as we approached the postseason run, it was about sacrificing everything and making these weeks the most important of our lives.”
So the stage is set. Toronto has punched their ticket, and Rogers Centre opens the show. The message from Miguel Rojas doesn’t change with the logo on the other jersey: four more.
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