Steve Webb
SAN DIEGO, CA — Full disclosure. I like Dave Roberts, and I’m not calling for him to be fired. But…
The book on Dave Roberts as a manager has been pretty consistent over the years: he’s a genuis at motivating players and navigating a clubhouse full of superstars, but lacking as an in-game strategist. Friday night’s game in San Diego did nothing to change that narrative.
With Michael Grove on the mound and a runner on second with one out, Roberts made the inexplicable decision to pitch TO two-time batting champ Luis Arraez and not give him a free pass to first base with a meaningless run. The intentional walk would have set up a lot of things. One, it would avoid the righty-lefty match-up with a hitter known for his ability to put the bat on the ball. And Two, it would have set up a potential double play that would have forced the game into extra innings.
None of that happened. Grove pitched to Arraez, who promptly banged a game-winning hit into center field. Not great.
“I just felt that, if we could pitch Arraez carefully, we get a chance to get to [the on-deck hitter, Fernando] Tatis,” Roberts said after the game. “You kind of pick your poison right there. Just didn’t work out.”
A lot of things don’t seem to work out in the late innnings for the Dodgers. Since 2020, this steamroller of a team is a pedestrian 68-64 in one-run games and a disappointing 20-32 in games that go extras. That is not great. I can only imagine what the Dodgers’ record might have been under say, a Terry Francona or a Bruce Bochy.
Every manager is a package deal, and Roberts comes with a lot of positives. But, if you’re looking for a reason why the Dodgers can’t seem to win the late-and-tight ones, a lot of the blame has to be on the shoulders of number 30 in the dugout.
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