	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NL DIVISION SERIES: DODGERS VS NATIONALS

October 10, 2016

Dave Roberts

Los Angeles - Postgame 3

Nationals - 8

Dodgers - 3

Q. After taking the 1-0 lead, did it seem like anything and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for your club?
DAVE ROBERTS: It felt good after the double by Corey, and had some momentum. But you know, just right there, Kenta was missing, getting behind, and some fastballs leaked back over the plate. You know, they made him pay.

Four runs, three innings, at that point in time, I felt that, you know, we had to go to the pen to try to shorten the game. But they capitalized on some opportunities and it was a good game, a big hit by Chooch, by Carlos, and it was a good game till the ninth.

I felt bringing Kenley in, in the ninth, to keep it close to give us a chance in the bottom half was the right thing, but that's baseball.

Q. Who is your starter for tomorrow?
DAVE ROBERTS: We're in talks. I think that obviously the use of the pen today, no off-day tomorrow, playing tomorrow, so those are things that we're going to keep in mind. But we're not ready to announce yet.

Q. Are you going to announce it tonight?
DAVE ROBERTS: Possibly.

Q. With the pen in mind, that would lead me to believe that you're going to start Kershaw tomorrow.
DAVE ROBERTS: It's a possibility. I think you look at Julio at home, but you look at Kershaw on short rest at home. So as an organization, we've got to figure out what gives us the best chance tomorrow.

Q. You talk about the quality of at-bats, you talked about that all year, and it's been pretty good. What did you think of it today?
DAVE ROBERTS: You know what, I thought there was some good at-bats in there. You know, again, I think that we hit some balls, we squared up some baseballs, and you know, right at those guys. It could have been a different game. Howie squared up three balls today and nothing to show for it.

That's baseball. I think that you know, when you start getting into the pen and matching up, that's what Dusty did, it makes it tougher on our hitters. But I still felt the at-bats were there.

Q. You've had five guys go back-to-back days with a do-or-die game. Is it all hands on deck tomorrow?
DAVE ROBERTS: It is. It is. I think that our pen gave us a great effort today. You know, guys going multiple innings, but again, regardless of who the starter is, this is an elimination game.

Q. How much of a factor were the shadows when they started in the sixth inning?
DAVE ROBERTS: You know what, they started to play a part. But it's always tougher to hit in the shadows. But we still found a way to get some hits and they did too, obviously, with the Jayson Werth home run in the shadows.

So a lot of what I do in trying to manage the game, shadows play a factor, certainly.

Q. Kershaw is your best pitcher. What would prevent you to use him tomorrow in a do-or-die game?
DAVE ROBERTS: Well, in an elimination game, we still have to win two games. So the thought of having Julio pitch at home versus the road is something that we're thinking through, and what gives us the best chance to win two games. And obviously, yeah, you have to win tomorrow to win on Thursday.

For us, we're contemplating a lot of different scenarios and what's best ultimately, and we'll make that decision soon.

Q. Is this the kind of dynamic that you've been preparing your club for all season, and bend-do-not-break, bamboo quality? This is what they have played all these games for is tomorrow.
DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, you're right, and we're not afraid of this. You know, it's been a long season. It's been a lot of highs and lows. But I know that there's no quit in our guys. So we'll be ready tomorrow to win a baseball game, I can promise you that.

Q. You've seen an awful lot of their bullpen in this series. Is there a common thread what their pitchers are able to do to your guys?
DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, I think there's a little bit of pitching backwards, and I think Shawn Kelley, we all know Shawn Kelley, and he did a good job. And Solis, we're still gathering information. But those guys made pitches when they needed to.

So I think for us, in this fourth game, we've had a look at all their guys, and, you know, go out there and try to execute.

Q. Has Mr. Kershaw voiced his feelings to you on pitching tomorrow, and if so, how did the conversation go?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think Clayton is just open to -- we've had conversations. I think Clayton is open to whatever we feel and he's just waiting for the go ahead, so he's prepared either way.

Q. You mentioned the other day the possibility or not of Hill going on three days' rest because of the blisters. How are the blisters and is he a possibility?
DAVE ROBERTS: You know what -- I talked to Rich today, with no certainty, I know that he's open to the idea of going on short rest, but it's something that he hasn't done. So it's not something -- it's a conversation, but I know that with him, and there's going to be more conversations with the training staff to figure out that finger. And it's not an arm thing with Rich. It's more of how we are going to manage that blister. But he is open to it.

Q. Sounds like it's a philosophical thing, you know you have to win two games, or you have to win the game in front of you. It seems that would determine who would start.
DAVE ROBERTS: That's correct.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297