NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 20, 2021

Dave Roberts

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Atlanta Braves - 9, Los Angeles Dodgers - 2

Q. Just first do you have an update on Justin Turner and how he's doing?

DAVE ROBERTS: Early indication it's a grade 2, so I think that will be it for him.

Q. How is he feeling, just his reaction?

DAVE ROBERTS: Obviously very disappointed.

Q. Has any thought been given yet to who might take his place on the roster?

DAVE ROBERTS: No. We're talking through it right now. It will be a position player, but not sure who.

Q. Julio has pitched four times in 12 days and it looked like he was tired by the 5th inning. What were you seeing from him in those five innings?

DAVE ROBERTS: You know, honestly, I don't think he was necessarily tired and I think we're still trying to get through how he's pitched. I think the stuff was good. I think they had a very good game plan for him. He was throwing 95 Miles an hour in the 5th inning, so I don't think it was being tired.

I think that they had a very good game plan. I think they took advantage of some mistakes and hit 'em out of the ballpark. So the first two out of three innings they put up four runs, so I don't think fatigue had anything to do with it. They just had a good game plan and took good swings.

Q. Obviously not having Justin's, it's not going to help, but what have you seen with the offense today just kind of more of the same out of them today?

DAVE ROBERTS: Smyly came in after the clean inning from Chavez, threw three innings, and it was all curve ball. He was striking it down below at the bottom of the zone and then we were unfortunately chasing.

And after that they go to their, couple of their big boys and outside of that inning that we built and AJ had a nice at-bat right there, the base hit that scored two, we just really didn't threaten. Yeah, I just really don't have an answer. I think that they just outplayed us in all facets.

Q. Would you consider maybe some lineup decisions, some different lineups for tomorrow to try to shake things up a little bit?

DAVE ROBERTS: Well, it's going to look different than tonight. Obviously Justin will be out. They're going to throw Fried. So I'll have Cody out there in center field and Pujols will be in there. So that in itself will look a little different. As far as construction, I'm going to still think through that.

Q. The Braves have held you guys to four hits twice in this series, two runs twice in this series. What are their pitchers doing to hold you guys in check relatively?

DAVE ROBERTS: Relatively they're getting strike one and they're expanding, and I think conversely, they're being aggressive early. And they had a plan that there was some shift busting going on, using the other side of the field, being on the fast ball, and pulling it so it's kind of hunting certain zones.

But as far as us, I just think that they're doing a good job getting ahead.

Q. You know this well. It takes a lot physically, mentally to overcome a 3-1 deficit this time of year. To attempt to do that without Justin Turner and everything he sort of represents for you guys, how much more difficult does that make it?

DAVE ROBERTS: Honestly, I'm thinking about, and I expect our guys to think about tomorrow and tomorrow only, looking at how we're going to be able to prevent runs tomorrow. And it's going to be a bullpen game. I feel very confident, and now it's, on the other side is how we're going to attack Fried, who is throwing the baseball well and he's their ace.

Q. Besides McKinney on the taxi squad was there like a short list of guys at the stay hot camp?

DAVE ROBERTS: McKinney's in the mix. McKinstry's in the mix. Potentially Andy Burns might be in the mix.

Q. Did you expect them to be so aggressive to the fastball with Julio?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah. They're one of the most aggressive early count swingers in all of baseball. So it's a high-risk, high-reward kind of situation. You want to get ahead strike one and if you make your pitch, there's a good chance to get 'em out and if you don't, then you could see what happened.

Q. I think going back to last year you have won six straight elimination games. What makes closeout games so hard?

DAVE ROBERTS: You never want to have your back against the wall. That's not how you draw it up. But it's a very, we have a very resilient team, a very tough team, and it's not going to get much tougher than facing Max Fried in an elimination game, but we've done it before. Like I said, we got to win tomorrow and I really believe we're equipped to win tomorrow's ball game.

Q. I understand momentum is like a fickle concept in baseball, but how do you account for the offense's inability to string together even two productive games in a row this postseason?

DAVE ROBERTS: That's a very fair question. I know it's not from lack of work and preparation, so the last part of it and most important is execution. I just, I don't have an answer. Every time I write the lineup out I feel very good about our club and how we matchup and track records and what we're going to do that particular night, but it just hasn't been as consistent as I don't think anyone expected.

So it's not, it is what it is and I guess it's, we got to change that. We got to change that, and the only way we can do it is tomorrow. So I wish I had an answer, believe me, I do. But again, Fried isn't going to feel sorry for us. He's going to go for the jugular. He's got great stuff and we got to compete. And to the question earlier, our backs are against the wall and no one's going to feel sorry. We got to find a way to stress him, get guys on base, and push them across, that's just the bottom line.

Q. On the broadcast tonight they said that I guess last night in the 8th before the comeback you had started preparing the speech that you were going to give about coming back. I know at this time of year these guys don't really need a pump-up speech but do you plan to say anything?

DAVE ROBERTS: No, I don't. I don't. I think our guys know what's at stake and how important tomorrow night's game is.

Q. To push back a little bit on what you said about Julio and fatigue, you did say more than once that when you use a starter out of the bullpen there's a cost to be paid. Both of the guys that you've used out of the bullpen have then pitched very poorly in their next start. You don't think that's the cost that's related?

DAVE ROBERTS: I mean, there's a potential cost. I mean, I don't think anyone knows. There's been starts where Julio hasn't pitched well and regular or extra. For me, it's looking and talking to the player, the pitching guys, and seeing the stuff. I just don't see the stuff tonight was compromised. I think that you look at the 0-2 pitch to Rosario and it's a guy that he knows he should handle and he had his way with him.

There was a fastball in there to Freddie. And I just thought the stuff was really good. There might have been some misses, which certainly there were. But I think that if you're talking about where Max's stuff, I think was certainly compromised in his outing in Atlanta, I just don't, I don't think, and I guess Julio's the better person to ask and there's just no one perfect way to answer that. All I know is that what I can see and I just didn't see the stuff compromised. I didn't.

Q. Obviously a similar situation to last year, but in this case you'll have to go to Atlanta and win two. So how much more bleak is this year than last?

DAVE ROBERTS: I would love to go to Atlanta. So I just think, for us, we're trying to win tomorrow and I feel good about it. And Game 6 we're going to have Max Scherzer on the mound with extra rest. So I can assure you they're going to do everything they can to prevent that. And so right now, like I said, I feel very good about our chances to win a game at home tomorrow night.