Dodgers Interview: Roberts Survives Another Tight October Win

MILWAUKEE — Game 1 in Milwaukee was tight from first pitch to final out. The Dodgers won 2–1 because Blake Snell stacked eight clean frames and Freddie Freeman found the big swing in the sixth. Then the ninth got loud and messy. Dave Roberts walked through all of it—why he lifted Snell, why he trusted Roki Sasaki, and how Blake Treinen shut the door.

Roberts started with the decision everyone asked about. “I thought it was a tough one for me,” he said. “He hadn’t been in the ninth inning, eight ups, potential going on regular his next outing. I thought it was 50/50. Roki’s been throwing the baseball really well. We had a two-run lead. I felt good with Roki there.” He made clear the calculus wasn’t about doubt in Snell as much as mapping the series. “He was rolling, pitch count in check,” Roberts said, “but I’m thinking about the next one.”

The manager liked his club’s overall night at the plate even if the scoreboard stayed thin. “It was a tight ballgame to the end, but I thought offensively we were very good,” he said. “We took good at-bats all night long. We put the ball in play, didn’t strike out.” He pointed to the chaos Milwaukee survived and the way the Dodgers kept stacking pressure. “There were some crazy things that happened that they weathered, but offensively I thought we were great,” Roberts said.

He circled back to the stars who have been grinding for timing. “Shohei’s at-bats were great tonight,” Roberts said. “He got the three walks and set up what proved to be the winning run.” He added that finishing clean matters for the bullpen psyche. “To see Blake come in and close it out was big for his confidence and us going forward,” Roberts said of [Blake Treinen]. “Absolutely moving in the right direction.”

About Sasaki’s wobbly ninth, Roberts weighed the context. “He had three days off. Everything I heard, he felt great,” Roberts said. “There were some near misses, but you walk three guys and so he was just off a little bit. I thought the stuff was still good, just missing. I don’t know if there was carryover from the three innings in the DS. I was betting on how he said he feels and what the coaches and training staff said, and with the three days off I felt good with him.”

Snell’s night drew a simple verdict. “This was as good as I can remember in the postseason against a very gritty team,” Roberts said. “They put the ball in play. The changeup was the pitch of the night. His command was great. You’re not going to see too many performances like that in the postseason. This was pretty special.” He said the feel showed up immediately. “He has an ability to manipulate the changeup within the changeup,” Roberts said. “His command and delivery, he was in that zone tonight. I saw it early and had no hesitation running him through six, through seven, and through the eighth.”

When the ninth turned from calm to jittery, Roberts expected a push. “That team’s going to fight,” he said. “You hope guys keep making pitches, and you’ve got to give credit to those guys. They took the walks, kept the line moving, and ultimately we had to put the ball over the plate.” He nodded to the final showdown. “Blake fortunately had a good at-bat versus Tellez,” Roberts said. “It’s not going to come easy. This is going to be a grind. It’s going to be tough.”

There was one strange moment in the field that needed sorting. “It happened fast,” Roberts said of the odd double-play sequence. “I didn’t know he didn’t catch it, to be quite honest. We go over that rule. Teo knows the rule. I think right there he just had a little bit of a brain fart.” Roberts described how it unfolded. “He tagged correctly, then saw he didn’t catch it and went back and that was the mistake,” he said. “He owned it. After that there’s nothing else you can do.” Even after replay, Roberts wanted to be sure. “I just wanted clarity,” he said. “I didn’t know they ruled it a no catch. I wanted clarity on the whole situation and making sure they got a couple force outs, which they did. Ultimately those guys in replay and on the field got it right. They nailed it.”

One game in, one win banked, and a plan intact. “You’re not going to have massive blowouts in October,” Roberts said. “You’ve got to win the close ones.” Tomorrow, it’s Yamamoto. Tonight, it was Snell, then a walk through the fire, and the handshake line.

Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!