Dodgers Interview: Roberts on Win at Coors: “A Win’s a Win—Especially Here”

DENVER — After a game full of wild swings, a six-run fourth inning, and a bullpen roller coaster ride, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had one major takeaway: “A win’s a win—certainly in this ballpark.”

The Dodgers outlasted the Rockies 9–7 on Tuesday night at Coors Field in a game that felt like vintage Denver chaos. But while the final score suggests a slugfest, Roberts saw signs of encouraging growth—particularly from Michael Conforto and Justin Wrobleski, two players who stepped up in critical roles.

Conforto “Trending in the Right Direction”

Conforto’s three-run homer in the fourth inning was the key swing of the game, turning a 2–2 tie into a 5–2 Dodgers lead. He added a double earlier in the night and now has four hits over the last two games.

Roberts praised the veteran outfielder’s adjustment at the plate, crediting a small mechanical tweak: “He talked about just kind of adding in a leg kick. I think he’s in a much better spot. I like the swings. I like the at-bat quality. Seems like he’s getting to velocity better.”

With the trade deadline a little over a month away, the pressure is quietly mounting for players like Conforto to prove they belong on the Dodgers’ postseason roster. Roberts acknowledged the importance of this next stretch.

“It’s critical,” he said. “I think I’ve shown my faith in him, given him opportunities. I do think he’s trending in the right direction. But we’re going to continue to look and figure out ways we can get better as a ball club. It’s important for him to continue to play well.”

Wrobleski Continues to Impress

With opener Jack Dreyer going just one inning, Justin Wrobleski was called on early and delivered again. He gave the Dodgers 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball, striking out six and helping stabilize the game after a shaky start.

“Justin did a really nice job,” Roberts said. “Early on, there was a lot of swing and miss… and then toward the end they started putting the ball in play. But it was just great for us to get him through that fifth.”

Roberts pointed to Wrobleski’s growth as both physical and mental. His increased velocity—now sitting in the mid-to-upper 90s—is helping him miss bats more consistently.

“It’s changed a lot,” Roberts said of the velocity boost. “It puts hitters more on the defensive. His mechanics cleaned up after the last time he went down [to the minors], and now you’re starting to see the sevens and eights instead of the fours and fives.”

As for his role moving forward, Roberts was noncommittal but open: “I feel that if we want to start him, great. If we want to have somebody in front of him and bring him in, that’s not new to him. He’s given us flexibility.”

On Capitalizing in the Fourth

The six-run fourth inning, which featured Conforto’s homer, was also boosted by Rockies defensive miscues and a key RBI from Teoscar Hernández. Roberts emphasized how important it was to capitalize in that moment.

“You don’t just want to build innings however way you can and have it draw dead,” he said. “For [Conforto] to hit a big homer, put up that crooked number, get us a lead, capitalize on some mistakes on their part—was big.”

Roberts also mentioned that part of the strategy behind the lineup construction—putting Tommy Edman in the nine spot ahead of Ohtani—is to stretch out scoring opportunities: “That’s kind of the thought behind having him there, to bleed into the top.”

Bullpen: “Some Things I Liked, Some I Didn’t”

It wouldn’t be a game at Coors Field without late drama, and the Dodgers’ bullpen had its hands full in the final innings. After Wrobleski exited, the Dodgers used five more pitchers, with Tanner Scott eventually earning the save.

“There were some things that I liked. Some things that I didn’t,” Roberts said. “You got to give [the Rockies] credit. They did a good job of fighting, spoiling pitches, putting balls in play, taking advantage of some walks and misfires.”

The late-inning turbulence forced closer Scott into an up-down save situation, which Roberts acknowledged is not ideal. Still, he was content with the result: “We don’t want to go through that many pitchers and have our closer go up-down, but a win’s a win.”

Looking Ahead to Yamamoto

Roberts closed his remarks by looking ahead to Wednesday’s game, when Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound.

“It’s been a while since he’s really been Yamamoto-like,” Roberts admitted. “But I feel good. We’ll take the win.”

After a typical Coors Field game where nothing came easy, the Dodgers got the result they needed—and perhaps a few answers along the way. Conforto is swinging with confidence. Wrobleski is gaining momentum. And in Denver, that’s more than enough.

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