Dodgers Interview: “We Won a Big League Ballgame,” says Roberts

LOS ANGELES — After a dramatic 4–3 walk-off win over the Padres, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts met with reporters to reflect on a night that showcased the poise of young arms, the resilience of a worn-down bullpen, and the clutch power of Will Smith.

The biggest storyline entering the night was the return of Emmet Sheehan, who was making his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery. Roberts praised Sheehan’s composure and command, saying, “I said it before the game, I just trust his head. He’s not afraid. He’s not going to run from it, and he’s going to trust his stuff, and he did that tonight.” Sheehan went four strong innings, striking out six and allowing just one run.

Roberts credited both Sheehan and rookie catcher Dalton Rushing for executing the game plan well: “He flooded the zone, kept them on their heels, and I thought Dalton did a fantastic job with the fingers and the sequencing as well.” That pairing not only kept the Padres off balance early, but also gave the Dodgers a chance to settle into a game that began as a bullpen scramble.

Then came Justin Wrobleski, who covered the final five innings and earned the win despite a shaky ninth. Roberts was clearly impressed with Wrobleski’s determination. “I just love it. He wanted it. He earned it. And I think given where our bullpen is at, I had to be mindful of that. I just felt he had a lot more pitches in there. The stuff was good, getting soft contact… He was the right choice right there.”

The ninth inning nearly unraveled after a Muncy error and a pair of Padres hits tied the game, but Wrobleski kept his composure. “Obviously the inning got extended… we couldn’t convert on a grounder, but he found his way out of it and we won a ballgame,” Roberts said. “It’s just a great experience for a young pitcher.”

Roberts emphasized that the win was about more than just the result. “Tonight was obviously a big league win, but you look at the growth of two young pitchers and what they did against a very formidable ball club—and also Dalton being the catcher back there—I thought it was a big night for him as well.”

He added that the last three games have been a juggling act of bullpen management: “Essentially the first three games have been bullpen games. You’re trying to piece together innings and prevent runs… To those guys’ credit—Bardo [Josh Bard], Mark [Prior], Danny [Lehman], Connor [McGuiness]—getting these guys prepared on the game planning side, there just wasn’t a whole lot of margin.”

Then came the exclamation point—Will Smith’s pinch-hit walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth.

Asked how rewarding it was to see Smith thriving after battling through injuries in 2024, Roberts didn’t hesitate: “He’s the best catcher in baseball. Cal Raleigh’s having a good year, he’ll be the starter in the All-Star game, but Will—he’s just a tough young ballplayer. He went through the injuries last year, never made an excuse for it. But now he’s healthy, he’s strong, and you can see it in the batter’s box, behind the plate—he’s really performing.”

Roberts admitted he had a hunch the game might end right there: “You know what, I did. But after the foul homer to the pull side, it’s hard to then go backside on the next pitch. That was pretty remarkable. But I had my fingers crossed.”

Looking forward, Roberts outlined the Dodgers’ pitching plans for the coming days: “Yamamoto’s going tomorrow. Then Clayton will go Friday, Dustin May on Saturday, and Shohei Ohtani on Sunday.” He added that the team is keeping Ben Casparius in line with Ohtani, suggesting a likely battery pairing for Sunday’s start.

As for the bigger picture, Roberts was clearly proud of how his team has handled a tough 10-game stretch against division rivals. “We talked about it—this was the gauntlet. And our guys rose to the occasion. We’re playing much better baseball, finding ways to win against division foes. I’m happy… but we’ve got one more and I want to put these guys away.”

With the Dodgers now up 3–0 in the series and four-and-a-half games ahead of the Giants in the NL West, Roberts has good reason to smile. Between Sheehan’s sharp return, Wrobleski’s resilience, and Smith’s flair for the dramatic, this game was a showcase of depth, grit, and timely execution.

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