Dodgers Interview: Roberts Talks Pitching Plan, Possible Outfield Shakeup, and Getting Kersh One Last Hurrah

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers worked out at home on Sunday and Dave Roberts met the cameras with a steady tone. Game 3 arrives Monday night. Max Scherzer on the other side. Tyler Glasnow with the ball for Los Angeles. Roberts stuck to a script familiar to anyone who has followed this team in October.

“Outside of winning three games, first off we’re trying to win tomorrow,” he said. “We have to have Tyler come out and pitch well. We know Scherzer from years past and we have to know that he’s going to come in and compete and make pitches, and we’ve got to have a good game plan and execute and play sound baseball and then everything will take care of itself.”

Asked about the lack of big swings early in the series, Roberts pointed to both sides of the equation. “We had two homers yesterday,” he said. “In general, the two starters we faced have made really good pitches. They’ve had really good command. We’ve missed some pitches as well.” Coming back to Chavez Ravine, he added, “I feel we’re back into a little bit of a rhythm offensively that should show itself here these next three games.”

Center field remained a topic. So did possible tweaks. Roberts did not hide the evaluation. “It’s still on the table,” he said of changing course with Andy Pages. “It’s front of mind, just trying to figure out where he’s at mentally, physically. Certainly the performance hasn’t been there. Thinking of other options, so yeah, it’s certainly on the table.”

The other emotional thread involved Clayton Kershaw and the possibility of a home cameo in what will be his final three games in Chavez Ravine. “I would love to get him into one of these games if the situation is right,” Roberts said. “But first and foremost, I’m going to make decisions that I feel are best for helping the team win that particular game. And if he’s a part of it, fantastic.”

Travel even crept into the pregame chat. Roberts smiled through it. “I just arrived about 30 minutes ago,” he said. “There were some delays. The international stuff was a bear, but we made it. We made it.”

On Scherzer, Roberts’ scouting report sounded like a mix of memory and respect. “The stuff was down, but that last outing in Seattle it was back up,” he said. “Obviously with age you don’t have the same stuff. I know they don’t have the same leash on him as he used to have, but he’s still the great competitor. He still studies hitters, makes pitches, and he’s not going to give in. It’s still going to be a tough test for us because he wants to beat us really bad, I’m sure.”

The week has carried an old-school feel thanks to deep starts. Roberts welcomed it. “I love it,” he said. “That’s the game I grew up on. I think that’s the game fans love. There’s a point in the last 15 years that starters just aren’t conditioned to go deeper. Right or wrong, that’s what I came into. So then you look at the roster and what best way to win one particular game, and a manager has to make decisions. In a vacuum, I love it this way.”

With three games in three days, he kept circling back to innings from the rotation. “It’s critical,” he said. “We are comprised of a rotation that can log innings. The three in a row is very important to not tax relievers and to get the optimum matchups you can, but it starts with the starters going deeper.”

Bullpen usage for a sprint like this is part plan, part feel. Roberts explained how he balances both. “You don’t always trust the player,” he said with a small grin. “In this situation I think I’ve got a good feel for our guys. You go into a three-game series knowing what their potential limitations are. Availability and efficacy is important. It’s conversations. It’s their catch play. It’s me talking to the coaches. And at the end of the day I’ve got to make a bet on if the information makes sense to run him out there.”

Kershaw’s month as a veteran reliever has impressed the manager. “He’s handled this last month with class, professionalism,” Roberts said. “He’s always said he wants to do anything he can to help the team and he’s followed through on that. The uncertainty of going to the pen, he’s adjusted his workout regimen and throwing program to be ready when called upon like everyone else. He’s been a big asset for the guys in the pen. Talking to Josh Bard about Clayton, the interactions and conversations, he’s been very additive. I’d love to get him in there if it makes sense.”

Roki Sasaki’s role remains late and leveraged, though Roberts left himself room. “Probably using him more toward the back end,” he said. “I’m not going to say I’m beholden to that throughout the series, but the way I look at it now is more toward the back end.”

As for some early-series timing issues at the plate, Roberts credited the arms they faced. “It was a little bit in between,” he said. “We faced two guys with plus secondary pitches and splits, and having that in the back of your mind gets you off the fastball just a little.”

He also highlighted depth pieces who can swing a tight game. “Justin Dean is a great teammate,” Roberts said. “Really good self-evaluator. He understands his role and tries to make the most of it when his number’s called. He’s a plus-plus defender in center field. He can steal a base, and he’s good on the team. In the postseason you need your horses, but you also need the guys on the periphery that are good teammates and keep that mojo going. Justin does just that.”

Finally, on the familiar dance between manager and starter when a decision looms, Roberts was candid. “It’s case by case,” he said. “There are times where pitchers want to stay in there and I trust them and I’ll go with it, and other times I know what I know and it doesn’t matter what they tell me. Most of the time I’ve already made my decision, but sometimes I’ll relent.”

Roberts’ relationship with his pen, and his prized starters, will be critical in the next three days. Let’s see how it plays out.

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