Dodgers Interview: Roberts Marvels at What Just Happened, along with the Rest of Us
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani sent Dodger Stadium into a night-long frenzy. Six scoreless on the mound. Three balls into the seats. A 5–1 win to finish a sweep and punch a ticket back to the World Series. Dave Roberts tried to put it in a box, then admitted there is no box for what everyone saw.
“That was the greatest, probably the greatest postseason performance of all time,” Roberts said. “There’s been a lot of postseason games and there’s a reason why he’s the greatest player on the planet. What he did on the mound, what he did at the bat, he created a lot of memories for a lot of people. For us to do it in a clinching game at home, and he wins the NLCS MVP, pretty special. I’m just happy to go along for the ride.”
He praised how Ohtani carried the weight that comes with the jersey and the name. “I just don’t know how he handles the expectations because a lot of times when you have expectations like he has, they’re unattainable and you never realize them,” Roberts said. “He was struggling this postseason and not letting it affect him, keeping his psyche and confidence the same, is really impressive. We knew he was going to come through at some point, and what better night to do it while he was pitching, too.”
Asked if he had spotted a tell that this was coming, Roberts kept it simple. “I wouldn’t say that,” he said. “His confidence is unflappable. His work is very consistent. He’s too talented and the moment is never too big for him. With players like that, you just know it’s going to happen at some point.”
The manager liked the tone from the first pitch. “There was a lot of talk that he was scuffling at the plate or that he doesn’t swing the bat well when he’s pitching,” Roberts said. “Those things were fuel to his fire. When he took the mound you could see the focus and intent, and after that shutdown first inning, with that first at-bat, you could see he was smelling a really good night.”
The blasts were something else. “The homer that surprised me the most was probably the one that hit the roof, or beyond the roof, the second one,” Roberts said. “This is just a performance I’ve never seen. No one’s ever seen something like this. I wasn’t surprised by the third one.”
Around Ohtani, the club looks locked in. “We’re just in a zone,” Roberts said. “We’re focused on playing good baseball and I still think there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit offensively. It’s a very talented, very focused, very hungry group. When you get those components, it’s tough to beat and we mind the little things. We’re hungry, we don’t care about what happened before, and we’re healthy. We still have work to do.”
The sweep fit the theme. “It absolutely is our mindset to keep looking forward,” he said. “What we did last year has no bearing on this year. We want to win for the 2025 team. Once that other series ends, we’ll prepare for whoever it is. Our job’s not done and we’ve got four more games to win.”
He spread the trust to the bullpen, too. “I have confidence in Roki,” Roberts said of using Sasaki on back-to-back days. “I believe in his talent and his mind. In the postseason there are things players don’t ever do, but if you want to win a championship you have to be willing to take chances. I was completely confident in Roki tonight.”
The stage he now shares with old giants made him pause. “Great company,” Roberts said when told he became the first modern manager to reach five pennants in his first ten seasons. “I try to do my job the best I can for the game, for the players, for our fans. I love our game and I love the Dodgers, and I’m going to keep trying to do the best for this organization and this city.” Then he tipped his cap. “I just want to congratulate Murf and the Brewers on a great year. They had a tremendous season and a tremendous organization.”
Four more to go. Roberts’ voice stayed even. “We’ll prepare for whoever is next,” he said. “We’ve still got work to do.”
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