NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 21, 2021

Dave Roberts

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pregame 5 Press Conference

Q. Has someone been chosen to take Justin Turner's roster spot?

DAVE ROBERTS: We're going to activate Andy Burns.

Q. And what makes him the choice over McKinney and McKinstry?

DAVE ROBERTS: Just the versatility defensively, the right-handed bat.

Q. Who is your opener or starter, whatever you want to call it?

DAVE ROBERTS: Joe Kelly.

Q. We've talked about this a little bit before, but the offensive inconsistency throughout the playoffs, how much of a factor is Max Muncy's absence in that?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's certainly, you're taking one of our best offensive players, top of the order guy who gets on base, can slug, hits left, right, can kind of prevent any mismatch potential. So it's a void. It's a void. And clearly not being able to keep the line moving or the slug or whatever, that's certainly been missing, but we've got to find a way to kind of overcome it.

Q. You guys have obviously been here before. I'm just curious if there's a message to your guys, approach-wise, heading into this game that you have to win today?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think the message is just to play every pitch like it's our last pitch. I think that means something different for everyone.

But in certain counts where we have to win a pitch, whether it's a take or a foul ball, I think it's just competing every single pitch. And that's on the defensive side too, but specifically to the offensive side is every pitch matters.

If we can stress them and grind and make Fried work, it bodes better for us. So I think that would probably be the message.

Q. We haven't seen a lineup. Is Chris Taylor at third base?

DAVE ROBERTS: Chris Taylor will be at third base.

Q. And Albert's at first?

DAVE ROBERTS: Albert will be at first.

Q. Did you shake anything up in terms of the order?

DAVE ROBERTS: Not really. AJ's in the 5, Albert's in the 6, CT will be in the 7, Belli will be in the 8.

Q. Trea?

DAVE ROBERTS: Trea's in the 3 -- Trea's in the 2, actually. I'm sorry. Seager's in the 3.

Q. I think probably a lot of people when Albert Pujols first got here would have been surprised to see that he made it this far. What have you thought of his contributions on the field and off, and what do you think of his chances of being able to contribute to somebody next year?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think Albert can do whatever he wants to do and if he wants to play next year he's certainly going to be a really good contributor to whatever ball club. You learn not to bet against Hall of Fame ballplayers because they understand what it takes to have success and they understand how their bodies, skill set might have changed or diminished a little bit because of age, which that happens to everyone, but how to still be productive and he's a winning baseball player and he's been huge for us.

Q. How have you seen the job of managing evolve since you were a young guy playing in the majors under guys like, and working with Bud Black and Jim Tracy to the job that you have to do today?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's evolving, certainly, and I think that we all understand that there's just a lot, there's a lot more information, there's people that have specific roles, as far as specialization and whether it's pitch design or the eighth quality control coach and I think that there's just -- when I came up certainly there was complete autonomy, it seemed like, I guess, and not that it's good or bad, it's just different and that's just kind of the way the world works. So for me I've got a lot of smart, bright people around me and we got a lot of good players and so I guess, like all things, things kind of continue to evolve, for sure.

Q. What do you think of the fact that guys like Snitker and Dusty have gotten this far?

DAVE ROBERTS: The most important thing is your ability, in my opinion, is how a manager relates to the players. Dusty is at the top of the list, clearly. So baseball's still baseball and to get players to play to their optimum ability, that's the goal. So I think Brian does a fantastic job, I think Dusty does a fantastic job.