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MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS DODGERS

October 27, 2017

Dave Roberts

Houston, Texas - postgame 3

Los Angeles Dodgers - 3, Houston Astros - 5

Q. I wondered if you could talk about what you see happening to Cody at the plate and whether you think it would be advantageous to give him a day off tomorrow to catch his breath?
DAVE ROBERTS: I don't see giving him a day off. There were a couple of good swings, but I think he's just in that funk right now where he's chasing balls out of the strike zone. I think the defense is obviously a premium. And the presence of him to be in the lineup.

But it's just trying to get Cody to slow down a little bit. I think he's been a little too quick. And tonight you saw balls below the zone. He was on the defensive.

So I think that he's trying his hardest. He's trying his tail off. I think we've got to get him to slow down and stay in the strike zone. If you look at the pitches tonight, a lot of balls out of the zone.

Q. Was it tempting, an extra challenge, to challenge the tag on Puig and the touch McCullers tagging first or were your video guys telling you it was clearcut?
DAVE ROBERTS: They told us it was clearcut. And I think Yasiel was actually in there and he came off the bag. So that was pretty clear. And we took as much time as we could on the ball that Corey got down the line. But they were pretty certain that we would have lost the challenge.

Q. You've used your bullpen a ton. I understand it's the World Series and everyone is available. Are you worried about taxing some of those guys a little bit? And does that mean that Alex has to go longer tomorrow to give some of those guys a break?
DAVE ROBERTS: Well, we just had an off-day yesterday. And when your starter goes five outs, you've got to find a way to cover some innings. Everyone tomorrow is available, outside of Kenta. And Alex is going to have to go deep.

But I think, like I said, everyone is available, and we've got Kersh going Game 5. They'll be available. They'll be fine.

Q. With Darvish, what were you seeing from him tonight? It seemed like more or less nothing was working.
DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, with Yu, I think there was one swing-and-miss when he was out there. The fastball command wasn't there, and the slider was backing up. So he just really didn't have the feel and couldn't get any type of rhythm going. So right there you find yourself after five outs down 4-0, you have to go right there -- had to go to the pen to give us a chance to stay in that game. They were taking good swings, obviously taking good at-bats against him. But it just goes to the fastball command and the breaking ball just wasn't there are tonight.

Q. How difficult is it to navigate that scenario, in which you know you can't surrender tonight, but using Kenta will make tomorrow more difficult?
DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, I thought that the way McCullers was throwing, and I thought we had a chance to get to him. Even in that third inning we stressed him. Got bases loaded and nobody out. Yeah, there's a point you've got to figure out to try to stay in the game as long as you can without conceding. And I thought that until the 9th we were in the baseball game.

So I thought our guys in the pen did a fantastic job. And it's just a matter now of just getting hits with runners in scoring position.

Q. It appeared Gurriel made a racist gesture toward Darvish in the dugout after the home run. Are you aware of it? And if you did see it your thoughts on it, this happening in the World Series?
DAVE ROBERTS: I did not see it. That's -- no, I didn't see it. That's surprising. No, I didn't see it.

Q. Springer's fly ball off of Stripling, did you think it was leaving the park? What was your reaction and then when he caught it?
DAVE ROBERTS: A big exhale. And that's a big, strong kid. And I thought he got just enough if of it. I thought JT's ball he hit in the first inning was gone, too. Yeah, I thought both of those balls were gone. But that was a big out for us.

Q. Can you talk about the pressure that goes into game No. 4?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think we've just got to go out there and pitch well out of the gate. Obviously this crowd is into it, very educated, very enthusiastic. They've got some confidence over there, that team. And it's up to us, up to Alex to go out there and set the tone, get a quick first inning and get us -- bats got to come alive, keep getting guys on base, getting that big hit. But honestly, I don't think we see it as pressure, just go out and play a good clean game.

Q. (No microphone).
DAVE ROBERTS: I think it's just guys going out of the strike zone. You look at the opportunities that we did have and pitchers seemed to go to their secondaries. When we are at out best, or any offense is at their best, they stay disciplined in the strike zone, and right now we're chasing a little bit more than we usually do.

Q. What impressed you about Peacock?
DAVE ROBERTS: I thought he threw the ball really well. He had really good fastball command. The fastball to the outer half of the plate against our left-handers was riding. He really competed. He got ahead. And we really couldn't square him up. Against the righties, the slider obviously really plays. But I thought that outside of that Grandal at-bat, that last one, we didn't have really great at-bats against him, really great swings.

I know he got extended more, 52, 53 pitches. But he got ahead and put us on the defensive all night.

Q. It's obviously very early in the second, but what was your thought process in staying with Yu through the Altuve at-bat?
DAVE ROBERTS: Well, I think that you've got to try to look and project where you're at and understand you have three straight games to get through, potentially. And to go to the pen right there, which I didn't want to do, I wanted to see if he could get through Altuve and get us out of the inning and maybe reset to get himself through the third inning. But after Altuve, that ball, and fortunately it didn't go out, stayed in the ballpark, and at that point in time I had to go to the pen to get Correa. But that was the big spot right there.

And could I have gotten him earlier? But you have really got to be certain that you've got the coverage. And again, it's the matter of looking at using your pen, exhausting your pen when you're down 4-0, to then having guys ready for the next couple of days, as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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