	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 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DODGERS VS BREWERS

October 17, 2018

Dave Roberts

Los Angeles, California - pregame 5

Q. Who is catching Clayton today?
DAVE ROBERTS: Austin.

Q. Considering the bullpen's performance, tomorrow being an off day, considering also Clayton's last start, is there less of an ask for length out of him today?
DAVE ROBERTS: No, we're going to go as long as we can, as long as he's pitching well. And as the game goes on we'll decide who's the best option to finish out the game. But when he takes the mound that's the plan, to get as many outs as he can.

Q. How would you assess how the line change approach to substitutions have worked during this postseason so far?
DAVE ROBERTS: I don't think we've done a complete line change. I think we've hit for guys. But there are guys that pitch well. They're a tough matchup for any ballclub. But I still like our matchups, and I think at times we've taken good at-bats and we're in a spot to take a 3-2 lead. So we'll see how it plays out.

Q. A couple of the Brewers players had some pretty strong words about Manny last night, not just the play with Aguilar at first base, but more about he plays, had these incidents in the past in general. What's your response to that? Do you have to guard against this becoming a subplot at a time of year you don't need it?
DAVE ROBERTS: I don't think we're too concerned about any other teams' comments about our players. I know speaking for Manny, he's preparing to help us win today. And I feel the same thing about the rest of our players and coaches. So it's really not at the forefront of our mind.

Q. Having watched you guys all season and the struggles Bellinger has had, how did you work with him to get him to the point where he was comfortable with finally going the other way last night with that base hit?
DAVE ROBERTS: He's constantly trying to work on using the whole field, shortening his swing when he can or when he needs to. Just competing and fighting and trying to put the ball in play. So it's still a work in progress.

And Cody, it's been an up-and-down season for him. But his kind of approach to each day and trying to get better hasn't changed. And for him to get rewarded last night on a base hit the other way off Hader, and then the game winner last night, was really, really good to see.

Q. Obviously the pitching on both sides has been outstanding. Last night there were quite a few called strike 3's that you guys took. Is that pitch recognition or what do you attribute that to? Good execution on their part?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think more the latter. Those guys made some good pitches. And we did go out of the zone quite a bit to get us into two-strike count. We chased. They made some good pitches. We thought some strikes were balls. All of that kind of bunched up.

But I think though it still comes down to us getting good pitches and putting good swings on them. And unfortunately I think last night and the other start against Miley we were just too out of the zone. And when we stay in the zone we're a considerably better offense.

Q. The Game 6 starter is waiting at the bullpen. And the Game 6 starter has some tricky routine. He takes a long time to warm up for pitching. He's not comfortable as a bullpen backup. How do you feel comfortable about him?
DAVE ROBERTS: To Hyun-Jin's credit, that situation was not ideal. And I don't plan for 15 innings. And so when you're at that point somebody's got to pitch. And for him to be willing to forgo his regular routine to help us win a baseball game, I commend him. And fortunately for us, we didn't get to that point.

Q. Did you get a chance to take a closer look at the Machado play at first base, and can you understand why the Brewers were upset about it?
DAVE ROBERTS: All I know is Manny and Jesus have talked. They've worked it out. So I know that we're focusing on today.

Q. What you know about Manny, these kind of incidents, probably not going to experience them today, but certainly when you go back to Milwaukee, he's going to be hearing it from their fans. Do you think that kind of attention affects him like maybe in a positive way?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think that's certainly a question for Manny. But I don't think it's going to affect him in a negative way, no.

Q. The lineup you guys sent out has Cody leading off?
DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah.

Q. What's the thought process there?
DAVE ROBERTS: Just to shake things up. I like Cody's at-bats against Miley. I think that the quality of contact and I like him there. Going forward how we could combat what they do, it made sense to us.

Q. Knowing how important defense is at this time of year, what makes you comfortable with Max at second?
DAVE ROBERTS: He's played a good amount of second base this year and through the minors and even in the Big Leagues with Oakland. Don't know how long it's going to be him over there, depending on how the game unfolds. David is at first base and at some point in time in the game we see Max going over to first base. But to start the game and get his bat and to produce some offense, I think it's a good thing.

Q. Cody obviously had some scuffles going into last night's game and we talked about it. How big was that first hit he had last night before the game winner where he kind of went with the pitch?
DAVE ROBERTS: It was a big exhale for him. He's very results driven. And so again, it's a tough pitcher like Josh, for him to stay on the baseball, that's a tough at-bat. So I think for him to reach the outfield grass, I think he was pretty elated about that and it carried over into the following at-bat.

Q. What was the difference in the way Julio functioned last night compared to his first appearance in the series? How long do you think you can count on him to pitch?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think there was better execution last night, even his first outing. The change was located on the outer black, but it was just elevated a little bit to Aguilar. And even the pitches in between just weren't executed as much as they were last night. I thought the fastball down and away to the left-handers was really good. Just really good command, life. And we don't worry about him in the moment. But I just think there was a tick better command last night.

So as far as today, we'll see how he feels. He's going to go out there and play catcher little bit and see how he feels.

Q. Craig Counsell said if Bellinger would have walked, they would have just walked Grandal and made you do something with Jhoulys, hit him or another pitcher. Are you surprised they didn't do that since you were out of position players at-bat?
DAVE ROBERTS: Like you said, Craig has his reasons. And he's done a great job with their ballclub. So I just really don't know what his thought process was.

Q. Do you prefer lefties against cutters, is that where this is coming from?
DAVE ROBERTS: It's Miley's changed his pitch mix and he's implemented the cutter, which gets in on the righty a lot more than he traditionally has been throughout his entire career. So it's kind of the old histories and all that stuff, flipped a little bit with Wade.

So Cody and Max have really throughout their careers have faired pretty well against left-handers. So having them in there to break up the righties and to give them a different look I think will benefit us.

Q. This kind of series, it's really what has been happening with your team all season. It's a season where you've overcome and struggled. And you're right here in the same place.
DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah. It's nothing new to us. I think that the one constant is our guys believe that we're going to win this thing. And so that has never changed. I think the noise and the people that don't feel the same way, that's fine. But I think that the most important thing is that our players feel that we're going to get through this series and give ourselves a chance to win a Championship this year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297