Dodgers Interview: Roberts talks reporters through roster tweaks, expectations for NLCS
MILWAUKEE — Before Game 1 in Milwaukee, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts touched on matchups, roster tweaks, bullpen planning, and the challenge of repeating. No drama. Just baseball choices and the reasoning behind them. Here’s how he framed it.
With the Brewers leaning on a lefty opener, Roberts said the offensive key for Shohei Ohtani is simple. “Just have a consistent approach,” he said. “The Phillies pitched him tough. We expect these guys to do the same thing. Have an idea of what you’re trying to do and not try to chase your tail, because then you start being predictable and pitchable.” He added, “I expect good things from Sho this series.”
Asked about Pat Murphy’s “underdog” drumbeat, Roberts didn’t bite. “That’s just kind of how Murf is,” he said. “He tries to get in the psyche, and he’s telling his team the opposite behind closed doors. We know the act. He’ll have his guys prepared, but we’re prepared. We’re playing good baseball. The talk isn’t going to factor in once the game starts.”
Milwaukee turns contact and pressure into mistakes. Roberts spelled out why. “It starts with a hard 90. They run hard. They try to be opportunistic on the bases, take the extra base,” he said. “It puts more pressure on the defense to be sure-handed and a little quicker. We’re prepared for that and understand that’s how they play, and that’s how you’re supposed to play.”
Roster notes came next. “With the Rushing piece, we felt Will is in a good spot to feel that we don’t need to protect him with a third catcher,” Roberts said. “With Ben, we felt having another right-hander to take down a certain part of their lineup if needed,” and he pointed out, “Ben pitched in the World Series last year, so he’s got some experience.” The manager thinks the reset helped Kasparius. “He’s thrown the baseball really well,” Roberts said. “Started off well, hit a lull, went to the minors to work on delivery and confidence. He’s taken it and run and he’s in a good spot.”
Clayton Kershaw will be in play. “With Clayton, you can use him against lefties and righties,” Roberts said. “Potentially it’s a multi-inning situation. I don’t really know the leverage, but he’s going to be available for whatever is asked of him.”
As for Milwaukee’s pitching puzzle, Roberts said the pattern is clear. “It’s not unpredictable because the strength of this team currently is their pen,” he said. “How do they take down as many outs from their pen as possible is probably their MO. We’re expecting it.” He likes his lineup’s construction against those moving parts. “We have a lot of guys that are pretty neutral,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to set up lanes to get matchups consistently. We’re equipped to take on anything they throw at us.”
On the bigger picture of trying to repeat, Roberts explained the grind. “It’s hard because the playoff format doesn’t lend itself to just getting into the championship series and getting to the World Series,” he said. “The other part is getting guys to play their best baseball at the right time and to keep guys playing at a high level for 162 to get to the postseason, then give yourself a chance to win 13 games in October.” The year came with an internal reset. “You’ve got to give players grace to appreciate the human side,” he said. “It’s hard to play every game like it’s Game 7 in April, but know when to turn it on. In that series in Baltimore we turned it on. Even losing two of three, we still turned it on.”
That message stuck. “It was giving everyone permission to let go of the prior five months,” Roberts said. “Offload the inconsistencies of play, myself included, and from that point forward play like a team that’s going to the postseason. It’s hard when you’re carrying the ‘here we go again’ thing, and we were guilty of that.”
Young outfielder Andy Pages could be an October riser. “I hope so,” Roberts said. “I hope it’s a confidence builder. Seeing his work and talking to him, he’s in a good headspace. He’s been around, played in playoff games, and they’re going to attack him with velocity. We’ll see, but I think his confidence is ticking up.”
This October staff is a different animal from last year’s. “It’s huge,” Roberts said. “It’s a completely different construction. It’s a good thing when your best arms are going to take down the most outs. Last year knowing your starter wasn’t going to take down the most outs was tougher to navigate. This is much better, but we’ve got to go out there and play well, too.” The Snell addition mattered. “He’s a bona fide ace,” Roberts said. “Having him take the ball, you feel he’s always essentially going to be the best option on the mound. With Yoshinobu and what he’s done, and having Tyler come back and pitch the way he has, it’s been huge.”
The workload plan evolved. “We expected Blake to be healthy out of camp, then his shoulder was balky,” Roberts said. “We put him on ice to save bullets and get him strong for the duration, and wouldn’t change that. Same with Tyler. Even Sho, we were methodical, pitching him one inning at a time to two to three to four, and now he’s built up. We couldn’t have had it any better as far as where guys are at. A lot of credit to the training staff and coaching staff.”
Rotation-wise, one thing was clear. “They opened with their closer in Game 5 against the Cubs and an opener now,” he said. “We’ll probably see more openers. We feel prepared.” And on the immediate schedule question back home for Tyler Glasnow and Ohtani, he kept it short. “No,” Roberts said when asked if the outcomes of the first two games would dictate the order. “Already decided? No.”
That was the theme all morning: clarity without noise. “We’re prepared,” Roberts said. “We’re playing good baseball.” The talk fades when the game starts. The plan is set. The Dodgers were ready to get to work.
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