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MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS RED SOX

October 26, 2018

Dave Roberts

Los Angeles, California - pregame 3

Q. How does this shift in scenery help you maximize the roster and put more pressure on the opposition with matchups?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think the shift in scenery, it's something obviously the ballpark, the pitcher in play, our roster is built for this, with the versatility we have. Those guys have a lot of versatility, as well. I think it's just more of being able to get home, be in front of our home fans, different weather.

But like I said yesterday, the most important thing is we've just got to play good baseball.

Q. After thinking about the first two games, do you dwell on whether maybe you catered your lineup too much to the left-handers and not enough to your strengths, and would you factor that in in making decisions against the lefties later in the series?
DAVE ROBERTS: I don't second-guess that. This is what we've done all year. And the slug that you're kind of referring to has come against right-handed pitching, outside of Max Muncy who David Freese, you could argue is having our best at-bats in these first two games.

So every day is different, every left-handed starter, every pitcher is different. But there's no second-guessing as far as who we ran out there in those first two games.

Q. What went into the decision to add Mark Prior as a coach and what influence has he had?
DAVE ROBERTS: So Mark obviously had a nice career. Very intelligent guy. Spent time in the San Diego Padres' front office. Was a Minor League pitching coordinator for a few years and really connected with players and receives information and distributes it really well. And so once we lost Josh Bard to the Yankees last year, just getting permission from the Padres and talking to him, really exciting. And I knew him a little bit but not a whole lot, but his impact has been huge, just kind of getting the information, strengths, weaknesses, with our relievers, and his relationship with the pitchers, relievers in particular, kind of getting that information to these guys and letting them buy into it. Knows mechanics.

He's been a real impact for us.

Q. You mentioned their versatility in terms of their lineup and Mookie and the DH situation, and possibly playing the infield. How much do you think of that as an opponent and what do you think of him potentially doing that in this series?
DAVE ROBERTS: It's a possibility. I know he hasn't played a whole lot of second base, but there's probably nothing on the field that he can't do. My biggest fear is him in the lineup, so not the defensive side of things.

So, yeah, we've got some good players on both sides. And Alex is going to do his things to kind of maximize his matchups. And you've got to net it out, the offense versus the defense. I'm sure him and Ron Roenicke, they'll be able to navigate through a National League game, I don't see any problem, and trying to figure out where they can get Beni back in the game.

They've got options, just like we do. It's going to be fun to kind of see how he goes about it.

Q. On the whole realm of stealing signs, tipping pitches, it's been something that's been involved in baseball from time immemorial. Why do you think there's so much focus on it? How much does technology have to do with it, and how do you talk about to guys about what they can do and what they can't do?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think that there's, to your point, it's been going on since the game came to be. There's a gamesmanship part of it, where you're trying to get an advantage and coaches, players, do that every day. But now when you kind of introduce technology and using that as an advantage, I think that there's a line that's crossed. That's where Major League Baseball has done a really good job of trying to make sure that that doesn't happen.

But as far as kind of the sign stealing, I guess everyone's probably guilty of that or attempting to do that.

Q. Do you anticipate being any more aggressive with your usage of Baez and/or Jansen out of the bullpen tonight?
DAVE ROBERTS: I could see us being a little bit more aggressive with Kenley, being down 2-0, the first game at home, with a lead, to try to ensure it as best you can makes sense. Still appreciating that you have three games in a row, potentially. And Pedey, Pedey has thrown the ball well.

I like our guys. And so he's got a lot of confidence right now, and so to use him in the right spot does make sense.

Q. Could you talk a little about KikÃ© Hernandez's job in the clubhouse in October?
DAVE ROBERTS: KikÃ© is a fun guy in the clubhouse. He's very in tune with social media. He's very jovial with the players. But when it comes to playing baseball he's very focused. He plays hard. He's very versatile. I can use him anywhere on the diamond, which makes my job a lot easier. And I think this year he's really done a great job of maturing as a Major League ballplayer.

Chase Utley I think has a lot to do with it, his influence on consistency, on preparation. But KikÃ© has done a lot of good things to get us where we're at right now.

Q. Speaking of making your job easier, how much easier is it to manage against a team that's rolling four starting pitchers and no openers?
DAVE ROBERTS: (Laughing) It does make it easier. It's a good club over there. But, yeah, to know that I don't need to flip my lineup in the second inning or after the first hitter is a change, which is nice. But still when you've got Sale, Price, Porcello and potentially Eovaldi, so you could argue the other way. But you've still got to find a way to get 27 outs and score more than the opposition.

So, again, I like our guy today. I think Walker is battle-tested. I think he's been in some tough spots and really come out on the other side. So in this moment, Game 3, first game back home, I think he's ready for this moment. And we've got to do our best to play well around him, catch the baseball and get some hits.

Q. Speaking of catching the baseball, why did you decide to go with Grandal behind the plate tonight?
DAVE ROBERTS: Well, I think that, No. 1, we've got a right-hander on the mound. He's had a lot of repetitions and has caught Walker quite a bit. And this is an aggressive base-running team, and more specific, they like to steal bases. So for us to have a guy that can kind of deter that a little bit, I think that's a good thing. And I just feel that the last three or four games for Yasmani to not start, to give him a little reset. I think he's in a much better place mentally. And the way Porcello typically puts the right-hander on the ground, I like the left-handed bat, as well.

Q. I'm just wondering where you stand on the DH debate. Would you like to see the status quo or DH all around or what?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think if I had to choose one or the other, I would probably lean towards the National League with the pitcher hitting as far as strategy and things like that. I enjoy that part of the game. The opposite, the counter, is to have guys that are kind of at the end of their career, fans want to see the homer, the big at-bat, instead of the pitcher taking the at-bat which I get.

But for me I think I would probably lean toward status quo. I guess having your cake and eating it. But I'm just more biased probably toward the National League style.

Q. Just wanted to get your thoughts on Matt Kemp and his homecoming and him being sort of the fan favorite, and how far he's come this season.
DAVE ROBERTS: All the credit goes to Matt. And after we acquired him this winter from the Braves, and didn't really know how it was going to play out, but for him to get himself into great shape coming into Spring Training, win a job, and make an All-Star Team, one that he hasn't made in call it four or five years, huge hits for us, being a great teammate and trying to keep these young players focused. And obviously Matt would like to be in there every day. And we've had many conversations about that. But still to be on board, be ready when called upon and to still realize a dream of his to play in a World Series and to potentially win one, I know it's something that he's really proud of, and for him to homer in a World Series is something that I think is a feather in his cap.

So we've got some work to do, but Matt, he deserves all the credit for the position that he's put himself in.

Q. What about specifically in the World Series the way you flip-flop back and forth DH in Boston, no DH here, do you wish that there was just one rule in the World Series? And I'm guessing if you do, maybe the fact that no DH, they've got to lose an outfielder tonight?
DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, four potential games in a National League park, that would be great. I just think that it's part of the roster formulating. And when you're talking about the postseason and every series, and now you understand that you might have to play with a DH, and so there's strategy in that.

So there's a lot of players that impacted our season this year that we had to omit. So understanding that there might be a DH and things like that, so I think that that's part of it. If I had my druthers, we'd have four here. But unfortunately we didn't win 109 games. That's the way it is. And that's the way for me, I sort of like it that way.

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