Dodgers Interview: Roberts Talks Availability in Advance of Game 2
PHILADELPHIA — The Dodgers walked into Game 2 with a chance to put a real grip on this series. Blake Snell had the ball. Philadelphia had another lefty ready. Manager Dave Roberts sounded calm, clear, and prepared. He laid out how the roster fits tonight and what comes next as the Dodgers try for the mini-sweep in Philly.
“We went with Ben Rortvedt to start and have Will [Smith} come off the bench, similar to Game 1,” Roberts said. “Will hasn’t had much of a buildup coming off the IL. Catching those five innings and getting three at-bats was a positive. He came out of it feeling good, which is encouraging, and if we keep trending this way, starting him in Game 3 makes sense.”
Asked about the extra off day in a five-game set, Roberts called it helpful. “It lets us keep Blake on regular rest,” he said. “The guys we used out of the pen are back online outside of [Tyler] Glasnow. We kind of reset, and I feel good having whoever we want to deploy behind Snell.”
Philadelphia’s environment is loud and relentless, but Roberts did not think Snell needed a pep talk. “He’s pitched in a lot of big spots,” Roberts said. “He’s really focused on doing his job and, like most great ones, when they compete the noise drowns out.”
On the other side sits Jesús Luzardo, whom the Dodgers have seen. “He’s good,” Roberts said. “It’s velocity, a really good changeup, and he’ll pitch backwards at times with JT [Realmuto] behind the plate. There’s a sweeper for chase. We expect him to go long and our lineup reflects that. We’ve got a good game plan, and we have to keep him in the strike zone.”
Roberts fielded a question about the club leading MLB in IL days for a third straight year. “We’ve had our share of injuries,” he said. “It speaks to the front office adding depth and navigating the waiver wire. On the development side, young guys cut their teeth who probably weren’t ready but rose to opportunities. The core that stayed healthy remained steadfast and kept going. Early the rotation was patchwork, later it was the pen. Position players were mostly intact. Guys stepped up, and it says a lot about the organization.”
Teoscar Hernández’s bat has been central already. “His ability to use the whole field and lock in with runners in scoring position is big,” Roberts said. “You have to handle velocity and stay away from spin, and to do that you have to use the whole field. His focus is more heightened in those spots and in the postseason.” He added context on the regular season dip. “He tweaked his groin in Kansas City and probably wasn’t 100 percent coming back. The focus now is different.”
The pitching map remains flexible. “You could see multiple innings from Emmet Sheehan or Clayton Kershaw,” Roberts said. “Glasnow is off the table for tonight, but both of those guys are viable.” He kept the door cracked on creative moves later, with limits. “Anything is on the table depending on circumstance, but using Ohtani or Snell out of the pen isn’t on our radar right now.”
Roki Sasaki’s role is still about leverage, not labels. “I don’t want to be pigeonholed into the ninth,” Roberts said. “The eighth could present itself as the best spot. I consider him one of our highest-leverage relievers.” The club has already tested his bounce-back. “We got him two out of three late in the season,” he said. “If needed, we could use him tomorrow.”
Roberts confirmed the rotation ahead. “Yamamoto will start Game 3,” he said. “If it goes the distance, Ohtani would be our Game 5 starter.”
The manager also talked approach versus Philly’s top order. “Sho did a fantastic job moving the ball around,” Roberts said. “You have to change locations, use front-to-back, and keep them guessing. His curveball was as good as I’ve seen it, but you have to make them honor the fastball. You can’t be predictable. Tyler did the same thing.”
He expects the Dodgers’ at-bat quality to carry forward. “We’ve been taking good team at-bats for five weeks,” Roberts said. “We’re winning pitches, taking walks, hitting to all fields. Not having five days off and playing real games kept our focus. It’s bleeding into now.”
Roberts admitted October sharpens everything, even for him. “It starts with me,” he said. “Decision making, being in tune with the players and where their heartbeat is. Understanding how they’ll respond and being prepared for situations. I have to make decisions with that information.”
Max Muncy sat again against another lefty, but Roberts emphasized the plan. “Physically he’s in a good spot,” he said. “For these first two games I like the silver bullet off the bench in any spot, like Game 1 against Robertson. Miguel Rojas has taken good at-bats and Kiké is October Kiké. The net sum gives us the best chance to win tonight. I talk to Max every day and he’s on board.”
Roberts summed up the night ahead with quiet confidence: “I like where Blake’s at. I like where he’s throwing the baseball. I feel good about our club tonight.”
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