Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES — It wasn’t a perfect night on the mound for the Dodgers, but it was a resilient one—something manager Dave Roberts emphasized in his postgame comments after Los Angeles clawed out an 8–7 win over the Colorado Rockies to complete a series sweep at Dodger Stadium.
The night began with Bobby Miller’s long-awaited return to the rotation. Though he flashed swing-and-miss stuff and collected strikeouts, Miller allowed six runs in just three innings, leaving Roberts wanting more in terms of game management.
“When you get a 7–1 lead, you’ve got to be able to go deeper in the game,” Roberts said. “You’ve got to chip outs, get count leverage, and understand how to navigate innings better.”
Roberts praised Miller’s fastball and curveball but noted that the young right-hander’s changeup and slider “were just non-competitive,” making him too predictable against an aggressive Rockies lineup.
Still, Roberts acknowledged the positives: “He’s trying his tail off. He’s competing. He didn’t run from it. But he’s got to keep learning how to minimize damage and avoid deep counts.”
Where the night could’ve unraveled, reliever Ben Casparius stepped up in a big way. Just days removed from a rough outing in Chicago, Casparius delivered three critical innings of relief to stabilize the game and preserve the lead.
“To see Ben give us three innings like that was huge,” Roberts said. “He was efficient, and even though he was out of gas at the end, he got that last out. That was a massive lift.”
Roberts noted that Casparius and fellow multi-inning reliever Jack Dreyer are becoming essential to the Dodgers’ bullpen strategy, especially with injuries and spot starts stretching the staff thin. “That’s kind of how we envisioned it,” he said. “They give us length and flexibility while protecting our veteran arms.”
The offense also came through, showing its depth in a big way. While stars Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman continued to do damage at the top of the order, Roberts was just as encouraged by contributions from the bottom of the lineup.
“Andy [Pages] has been swinging the bat better, and Max [Muncy]—that was probably his best at-bat of the season,” Roberts said of Muncy’s long battle against Rockies lefty Jalen Beeks. “He’s seeing the ball better, not as jumpy, and taking his walks. I really do think he’s turned a corner.”
When asked about the team’s explosive innings—like the one in which they chased the Rockies starter with a flurry of hits and walks—Roberts pointed to a broader trend this series.
“Better than any series so far, we’ve built innings, created stress, and beat the starters. We did that three times this series,” he said. “That’s Dodger baseball.”
As the team heads into a challenging weekend series in Texas, Roberts expressed confidence in the rotation and bullpen, especially with off-days providing extra rest.
“We’ll have Yoshi [Yamamoto], Roki [Sasaki], and [Tyler] Glasnow lined up for the Rangers. Then an off day Monday. We’re in a good spot.”
After a gritty win like Wednesday’s, it’s clear Roberts sees both promise and areas for growth—hallmarks of a team with October aspirations.
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