NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 16, 2021

Dave Roberts

Truist Park

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Atlanta Braves - 3, Los Angeles Dodgers - 2

Q. Just a question from the end of the game. Once the Braves execute the steal and you have the open base, what do you think about pitching to Riley versus giving him a walk possibly? What goes through your decision-making?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, I think that it was a thought. I think the way that Blake's dominated right-handed hitters, you got Joc on deck. If he was going to get him out, I was thinking about walking Joc to get to Duvall, but I think in that spot right there I didn't like the matchup with Joc on deck.

Q. Just with Chris Taylor, it looked like he kind of hit his head a little hard there. How is he feeling, just with that out and considering some of the neck injuries?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, it didn't look, he hit it pretty hard. I haven't heard yet. So I think once I go back in there and kind of get a debrief from the training staff, I'll know more.

Q. Your pitching plan, did it work out kind of the way that you thought it was going to work out?

DAVE ROBERTS: Well, we prevented runs all night. So we didn't not win the game because we didn't prevent runs. So it's just, we just didn't get the hits when we needed.

Q. On that note, fifth time this postseason three runs or less, what do you kind of see with the offense and what do you need to do to move forward?

DAVE ROBERTS: Well, we threw up some hits. We just couldn't get the hit when we needed. There's a situational bat in there that I'll take our guy anytime and we didn't come through. Just a couple other opportunities, and CT being a little aggressive and got hung up there late, not giving Mookie a chance with two outs. So it happens. It's baseball. But I thought tonight, considering the stuff that Fried had out there, get him out after six, I thought we took good at-bats against him. We just couldn't push enough runs across.

Q. Your read on CT, should he be trying to get to third or holding at second?

DAVE ROBERTS: You know, I think by the book he should have probably stayed. I think it was hit softly. It was kind of towards the gap, and so I felt that he thought he had a good read on it. It's kind of one of those where you got to pick. You either are going to go hard, and I don't know if Joc would have thrown to third right there and just conceded that base, or just hold up and two outs and give Mookie a chance. But I think right there he was kind of caught in between. That's kind of when you get in trouble.

Q. What do you remember about Austin Riley last year and what you're seeing from him this year, how much improvement he's made, is it noticeable to you?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's really noticeable. I just, you just see the confidence. Just at the plate he's handling velocity, spin. He can beat the shift, so he can control the barrel. He's just a really good hitter. Defensively, he's gotten a couple grades better too.

Q. You had two big hits with two strikes against you in the 9th inning of Game 5, five more hits with two strikes against you today. Are you guys deliberately shortening up and just changing that approach in that direction?

DAVE ROBERTS: We are. We are. You saw that with Cody. I thought Cody took a great at-bat against Will Smith right there. Just trying to win and fight, win pitches and give ourselves a chance. You give yourself a chance, then it's better than punching. So I thought we've been doing a much better job of that.

Q. Just curious because I haven't seen you do this very often, why Kenley first and then Treinen, why did you flip them?

DAVE ROBERTS: It was just I felt that with the run right there, we have two guys -- Kenley's our closer, but I just felt that with the lefties looming, the Swanson, the pinch hitter, the two lefties at the top, I really liked Kenley right there who is throughout his entire career has sort of been kind of reverse. To have Blake at the bottom, I just felt that was a good run for both guys and it was just a win-win.