Dodgers Interview: Roberts Discusses Pitching Plans and Haunted Hotels
MILWAUKEE — Game 2 arrived with a little breeze of confidence and a lot of detail from Dave Roberts. The Dodgers stole a tense opener, got a look at Milwaukee’s best relievers, and now hand the ball to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Roberts explained the lineup, the bullpen picture, the weird double play, and the rotation for the next few days.
On the card against Freddy Peralta, Roberts said the choices were about pressure and length. “Thinking about where they’re at as a staff, they’re going to need length out of Freddy,” he said. “Having Max in the five makes it a little more challenging for him. We’re trying to beat the starter, and I felt this lineup construction is the best way to go about it.”
Winning the opener helped in a schedule crunch. “When you can win a ballgame and get looks at their leverage guys, it’s huge,” Roberts said. “They’ve had to spend a lot of energy getting to this point. You’re looking at four games in five days, and still securing a win was huge for us. We feel good where we’re at on the pitching side and we got a look at a handful of guys yesterday as well.”
Roki Sasaki’s role tonight is lighter while the club monitors a small dip in heat. “We’ve identified that his fastball velocity has ticked down a little,” Roberts said. “I don’t know the answer. We’re still in uncharted territory with him, gathering information. He’s doing everything he can to stay ready and be productive. I don’t think it’s fatigue. If it’s mechanical, maybe a combo like most things are.” Asked if that made Sasaki unavailable for Game 2, Roberts said, “I wouldn’t say unavailable, but it is unlikely that we’ll use him.”
The manager’s trust in Blake Treinen hasn’t wavered. “He’s pitched in huge spots for us,” Roberts said. “He does a great job of handling his emotions. When you’re pitching in playoff games in big spots, it doesn’t matter what the season ERA is. It’s what you do in a particular moment. I’m willing to bet on certain players in big spots, regardless of other things that might have led up to it, and Blake’s one of those guys.”
About the fourth-inning chaos in Game 1, Roberts said the discussion was real but brief. “We discussed it a little bit,” he said. “We had the play this year and our coaches have talked about it even recently. We definitely don’t put it away. It’s very unlikely that happens three times in one year to one team, but I’d be shocked if it happens again and if we make the same mistakes. We’re very versed in the rules and take pride in that. It was one of those crazy situations.” He liked how the club responded afterward. “I’m grateful that even after that crazy play, we continued to fight and take good at-bats,” he said. “We didn’t let it bring us down for the rest of the game.”
Yamamoto’s keys were straightforward. “In-game adjustments can be pitch mix,” Roberts said. “Going to the breaking ball more or the fastball, whatever gets him back on track. I do think the way to start is to get ahead. When he gets ahead, he’s good. When he doesn’t, he labors. My expectation is he’s going to get ahead of these guys, and the split’s going to be better than it was his last outing. It’s going to be a good outing.”
Roberts also laid out the rotation. Glasnow, then Ohtani. “Sho will throw Game 4 and Glasnow Game 3,” he said. “Sho’s been fine with rest. It potentially lines him up for a Game 7 out of the pen if needed. Game 3, Tyler is on regular rest, so it lines him up as well. All these things made sense.”
As for the annual Pfister Hotel chatter, Roberts grinned and kept it moving. “I don’t have any paranormal stories,” he said. “Those went away when I was about 10 years old. I’m okay to go to bed now.”
The message before first pitch was crisp. “We’re trying to beat the starter,” Roberts said. “We feel good where we’re at on the pitching side.”
As the Dodgers roll out yet another elite starter in the series and the three-MVP batting order digs in again, the Brewers may have to start reevaluating their life choices. Unless a ghost intervenes.
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