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NL DIVISION SERIES: NATIONALS VS DODGERS

October 3, 2019

Dave Roberts

Los Angeles, California - postgame 1

Dodgers - 6, Nationals - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. World Series a year ago, Boston throws a couple lefties at you in Game 1 and Game 2 and Max is coming off the bench. Game 1 today, you see a lefty, Max is batting sixth and he comes up with several big at-bats against Corbin. How much more confidence do you have in Max against the left-handed pitcher compared to this time a year ago?
DAVE ROBERTS: He's earned it. Yeah, obviously, I think that ideally you get a guy that the handedness doesn't matter and doesn't affect production, and Max has shown that all year long, the consistent approach and at-bat quality. And you have a guy in Corbin that has dominated left-handed hitters throughout his career. So for Max to stay in there and take good at-bats and not offer at balls out of the zone and get a pitch that he can handle, big, big. And regardless, I just think that the at-bat quality he's done all year has been unbelievable. So to take that ball the other way for the base hit and just stay in there, he just keeps having good at-bats.

Q. From Game 163 to the World Series start last year, Walker has some big postseason performances for you guys. What do you make of his ability to rise up in big games like this over and over?
DAVE ROBERTS: It's, you don't know until you see it and we have seen it over the last couple years. And there's guys that want those opportunities like those big moments and want to be the guy. So Walker time and time again just knows how to temper, control his emotions and transfer that into the delivery, the execution of pitches. And today from that first throw he was on point tonight. And the delivery, the tempo, all consistent. Fastball command to all quadrants. The slower breaking ball, I loved with the depth. The cutter, when he needed it. So that's a really good lineup over there and for him to go six it was really -- we needed that one.

Q. How much has your experience in the postseason showed tonight from the calmness of the taking the walks early, the way you played, the focus you had, how much does that count?
DAVE ROBERTS: It counts a lot. I think that if you look back at certain guys in certain moments I think that we got a little over anxious and out of the zone. But this is a guy that presents a lot of pitches as strikes and they go out of the strike zone, namely his slider. So for us to -- that first inning was the game. And I understand that to Patrick's credit to stay in the game and give that club six innings was huge for them. But that first inning to get 30 pitches and to get him at 50, something like that, through 2, was big for our guys. That really set the tone. And so now for us to have some looks at some of the guys in the bullpen, obviously it bodes well for us going forward.

Q. On Max, here's a guy who was released by the A's, you picked him up, you're paying him 20 million dollars -- 20 thousand dollars over the minimum, and for the value you're getting from him, he's got to be one of the most important guys on the team, isn't he?
DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, absolutely. The front office found him and he's really made a home for himself here. I just don't know where we would be out him. It's a great story, it really is. He really epitomizes what we're all about, kind of just playing the game the right way, hard. He's open to whatever I ask of him whether it be in the order, position, moving around the diamond. And he's a Texas kid, he's tough. And that's a great story and obviously, the value from, yeah, what he's earning, it is really helpful for payroll.

Q. And Buehler too. He's basically a max-value guy for the age he is, also?
DAVE ROBERTS: Absolutely. But I think that if you look at the last couple postseason, the guys that have been active, we have a lot of those guys. That's a credit to the entire organization.

Q. With Buehler, obviously the last start he was tinkering. He's a guy that's sort of always experimenting but what did you see with his delivery and mechanics? Anything different?
DAVE ROBERTS: Consistent. He wasn't searching. He was on time with his hand. So tonight was one of those things that I think that he decided he felt something in his side with Rick and he went with it. Today all the throws from the fastball to the secondaries were on point.

Q. Gavin Lux came in for his first postseason at-bat and hit a home run. What do you make of that?
DAVE ROBERTS: It's a great moment. It's a great moment for Gavin, it's a great moment for his family. And I wanted him in there to take the at-bat to keep his defense in there for that 9th inning. I loved the matchup. But got on a heater and, Gavin, like Will, Will did a great job tonight with Walker all night long. And then, so for Gavin to take that first postseason at-bat and hit a homer, I can't say I expected it, but I'm very happy for him.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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