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MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS RED SOX

October 24, 2018

Dave Roberts

Boston, Massachusetts - pregame 2

Q. Ryan was in here before talking about how it's a little more difficult for the relievers to stay warm and get loose out there. How off-putting are the elements for a team like yours that throughout the season, other than occasionally Colorado, doesn't really play in a whole lot of foul weather?
DAVE ROBERTS: It's difficult. I mean, I think every person responds differently. But for us, this is the first time we've played in obviously weather like this. San Francisco a little bit, but nothing like this. So it's an adjustment, and that's part of the home-field advantage and especially being in the bullpen, where you have a little heater, but still have to kind of get hot and stay hot. It's more of a challenge.

But I know our guys aren't going to use it as an excuse, I do know that.

Q. What's in Walker Buehler's toolbox, and how do you want to see the right-hander play against this lineup?
DAVE ROBERTS: He's got a lot of tools. He's got a plus fastball with good command. He can change eye levels. He can pitch in and out. He's got a slider, cutter. He's got a breaking ball with a little bit more depth, and he's got a changeup. So he's got weapons to attack particular hitter's weakness and also go to his strengths.

But the No. 1 thing with Walker is that when he is good, he's got good fastball command.

Q. In this era of analytics and exploiting matchups, you guys have been really successful at doing that. I'm wondering if there is a risk if somebody understands the way you approach things, is there a risk of being somewhat predictable?
DAVE ROBERTS: I don't think that that's necessarily the risk, because I think that when you're looking at a large sample size of information, and when it gets to a particular matchup, a pitcher or a hitter's strengths versus weaknesses, that's what you can sort of bet on.

This game there's a lot of unknowns, so we can't predict how a certain outcome is going to be, how it's going to play out. But with the information and tendencies then, that's something that we, and I know I, believe in. And it doesn't always work out. But when you look at the long run, I think we've done a pretty good job.

Q. What were your expectations of Julio in September? Can you imagine using him in Game 1 of the World Series? Do you like him in the bullpen? Do you see him in that role in 2019, the next year?
DAVE ROBERTS: I don't see him in this role for 2019. I think that he's a starting pitcher. And so our goal is to build him up as a starter, to help us on this club at some point next year. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

I'll take Julio in any capacity right now. And this is a very mature, talented young man. Did I foresee him on the World Series roster, let alone postseason roster in September? No, I didn't. And so all the credit goes to Julio and the medical staff for getting him to where he's at right now. And he's a very confident, tough young man and very talented, like I said. So he's shown anything is possible, and he's helped us win baseball games.

Q. I understand that you guys have been matching up all year and that lineups like these first two games are nothing new. But is it hard for you to accept that in games of such importance that you're going to have all three of Joc Pederson, Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy off the bench, and they're not going to have as much of an impact on these games as you would like, especially in this series they have more conventional use of their starting pitchers, and you may not be able to use those guys until pretty late in these games?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think you could argue that there will be times, chances, opportunities for those guys to impact last night's game, this game tonight. We've kind of went about it a way that we use our entire roster playing matchups. So I think that I like where we're at right now, and last night it wasn't the offense in my opinion that didn't lead us to a win. So to get Sale out after four plus and then to go to their pen, I like the guys on the bench that we have, that could potentially get two at-bats, one, two at-bats, whatever it might be. In both those guys' cases, they had two at-bats last night.

I'm really confident and I like the nine guys we're running out there today.

Q. In your view is there anything to what Rick said about the mound in the visitors' bullpen being too close to the bleachers? And if so, why do you think that's an issue?
DAVE ROBERTS: I didn't hear too much about it. I know a little bit. It's tight out there. These fans are on you, literally, and figuratively. It's a little tough to go double barrel with a lefty and the righty. But I haven't put eyes on it, so I really don't know. If Honey feels that way, I support it. But it's not like it's going to change.

Q. David Price has been an outstanding pitcher for a long time but in the postseason he's had really no success. Do you carry some kind of theory when you see a player that's done so well but yet struggles in the playoffs, having been around the game a long time? Do you have a feel for how that might happen?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think every player has their own story or reasons why that might be the case. But I think speaking for tonight, David Price has come off a very good start. He's got a lot of confidence. He's going to play off the emotion of the crowd. And for us to make concerted efforts to take good at-bats against him and not to be afraid to run a count, and to stay in the strike zone is going to be very important.

But I really can't speak to the win-loss in the postseason for David. All I know is what he's done recently, and he's pitched well and he's got a lot of confidence. We've got our work cut out for us tonight.

Q. Two or three times this postseason you've run through your bench with plenty of game still to play. What sort of things are going through your head when you have your eight out there and that's who is going to have to finish up? Also who is your third catcher?
DAVE ROBERTS: The third catcher is probably Max Muncy. Yasiel Puig is a tick below him. But I think it's more of when you exhaust your entire bench, you're looking at potentially who they have in the bullpen, who's coming up, and if you feel that you're okay with not hitting for anyone else. And you're also rolling the dice that there's a potential injury. But when you're on the short end or losing a game, the cost is worth it, for me.

Q. (No microphone).
DAVE ROBERTS: I hope that doesn't happen. We won't be in a good spot.

Q. KikÃ© has not produced much offensively in the postseason, what do you see going on with his at-bats? And how close are you to the point where you think maybe Bellinger against a lefty is a better option?
DAVE ROBERTS: He hasn't swung the bat well in the postseason as far as results, and I think that he's got to get back to the fundamentals of trying to find the barrel. I think there's a little overswinging going on. And I think there's a little bit of trying to get results, and that's tough. Because you look at the scoreboard and you see your postseason average.

But with KikÃ© he's a guy that has come through in a lot of big moments for us. I love the defense when we're on the field. And there's just certain players that I just believe in. And I think that he's on that list. And so just the preparation. He doesn't scare away from big moments. And I just feel that he's going to get some big hits for us.

Q. So much is made about Ryu's home-road splits but he's a guy that's so calm, so emotionless on the mound. Do you think there's a little too much made about that?
DAVE ROBERTS: I do. I do. And right now I think he's on regular. In Milwaukee he just didn't pitch well. If you're at Dodger Stadium and you execute those same pitches, that's the same result. So Ryu has a lot of weapons, can do a lot of different things with the baseball.

I know that he's rested. He's excited about pitching here at Fenway Park, and he has a very good ability to temper his emotions. I expect him to pitch well tonight.

Q. Curious your philosophy on managing in the moment, the present inning, as opposed to managing an inning, two, three ahead. Has that ever changed with you? Do you have a different philosophy and how you regard that?
DAVE ROBERTS: That's a good question. That's a long conversation, I think. It's a combo. You're always kind of -- obviously the moment is very important, but I would say I probably am more thinking ahead of things more so than the moment. Because once you make a decision, then you're already going to a couple, two, three innings ahead and kind of seeing -- I'm a very optimistic person, but I think as a manager you almost have to think of worst case scenario, and that kind of guards you against anything that might happen in the game, and so you have to be prepared for that.

So I guess a lot of times I'm thinking of bad scenarios that might happen. In the National League there's a lot of moving parts, a lot of things go on. So, yeah, you're in the moment. You're trying to put your best players in the position to have success. But talking with coaches and front office and bouncing ideas off each other and talking through how a particular game might play out certainly helps and slows things down. But I spend a lot of time kind of a couple of innings ahead, certainly.

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