NL DIVISION SERIES: PADRES VS DODGERS

October 6, 2024

Dave Roberts

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Padres - 10, Dodgers - 2

Q. What's the status on Freddie coming out of the game?

DAVE ROBERTS: You know what, I don't know. I got word in the middle of the game that his ankle was really bothering him, and he was -- yeah, he was down, really down and just couldn't keep going.

We had no other choice. He's doing everything he can. I don't know what his status will be like for Game 3. But for tonight we had no other option.

Q. What do you make of that game and all the emotions between the teams and obviously with the crowd, like how much can that shift the dynamic of the series?

DAVE ROBERTS: We knew going into this series there would be a lot of emotions. They just played a better baseball game than we did tonight.

Q. We all know of the friction between these two clubs. How surprised are you that it went to that extent this evening?

DAVE ROBERTS: As far as the whole thing that transpired on the field? Well, shoot, I've seen over a thousand games here, well over a thousand games in this ballpark, and I've never seen anything like that.

So obviously there's a lot of emotions and things like that. But that's something that should never happen. Really I was pretty naive to it as far as the specifics, but I know that security handled the person that was involved as far as throwing the baseball on the field. You just never want to see that.

Like I said, I've seen so many games at Dodger Stadium, and our fans are as good as any I've ever seen.

Q. Freddie, how concerning is it for obviously the next month to try and keep him healthy without this thing flaring up every now and again?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's sort of where we're at. It is not ideal. It is of concern. It's day to day and there's nothing we can do about it.

So we have a workout tomorrow evening and then we'll just kind of see where he's at with treatment. And then once we get to Tuesday we'll see how he feels and then we'll do the same thing for Game 4.

Again, it's not ideal. But I think this is what we'll have to be dealing with for the duration.

Q. Obviously you guys kind of bounced back yesterday after getting in that early hole. How tough is it to kind of keep getting down three, four runs early on?

DAVE ROBERTS: It certainly puts a little bit on the offense. And hitting behind tonight, I thought the Mookie ball that was robbed, the Tommy Edman first and second base with one out double play right there, but that's baseball.

I thought those were two good at-bats. I thought Freddie took a good at-bat. We were down 3-1 to lead off the third or the fourth inning, and Tatis makes a good play. It could have been a double which could have potentially cut into the lead.

But, again, those guys made defensive plays and then they tacked on when they needed to. Now it's a three-game series.

Like I said, they played better, but we've got to catch a lead too.

Q. You talked about you've seen many games here in this ballpark for sure. How do you just turn the page and move on to Game 3?

DAVE ROBERTS: I've turned it. It was ugly. It was ugly. I think for us saving leverage guys, having Walker go in Game 3, I feel great about that. That's one of those that you just kind of want to wash away and get to the next day.

Q. You've seen a lot of Yu Darvish. What did you think of him tonight?

DAVE ROBERTS: You know, like I said, there were some balls that we hit hard and then didn't get anything to show for it. And then he made pitches when he need to.

You can see that he didn't use his fastball that much. That's kind of what Yu does. It's a cutter, it's a slider, it's a curveball, front to back. It's a very efficient strike-throwing. He did a good job getting through the seventh inning.

Q. With Mookie, obviously had the walks last night and the ball in the first inning today, but how have you evaluated his overall at-bats in this series? He's still waiting on a hit.

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, couple of walks. Obviously the first at-bat could have been a homer. And then for me, I hope he continues to just stay within himself and not try to do too much.

Maybe the last couple of at-bats when the game was not in hand, there was a little bit of, I wouldn't say indecision, but not as what he's done, I think.

But it's two games. I'm not worried about it. So I hope Mookie's not.

Q. How big of a swing was that Profar catch? And what were you able to see from the dugout on that play?

DAVE ROBERTS: I didn't see anything, to be quite honest with you. I thought it was a homer. I didn't know if watching Mookie -- I was trying to watch Mookie, and I didn't know until he came running past me.

I thought that was a momentum-changer. But also, again, I thought we built an inning after that. Then the Tommy Edman ball that ended up being a double play ball, I thought that was more deflating. But, still, no excuse. No excuse.

Q. What do you have for Game 4?

DAVE ROBERTS: That I don't know. I think that's going to be all hands on deck at that point in time. I know Walker is starting Game 3. I do know that.

Q. You think both teams could have a bullpen game in Game 4?

DAVE ROBERTS: I would think probably so. I could see that.

Q. What did you think of Jack today, his outing?

DAVE ROBERTS: I thought he got better as the game went on. You look at the Tatis ball, he had count leverage, and then misfires middle, gives up a homer.

And then again you have two outs. You've got Peralta up and he tries to go back-foot slider and it just doesn't get there, and he gives up a two-out, two-run homer.

After that, I thought he pitched well. Obviously you don't want to hit Tatis to lead off an inning. And then the bunt base hit. And I felt right there Banda gave us the best chance to give us a ground-ball double play and a punch.

And I thought Merrill, Jackson, took good at-bats against Jack Flaherty the preceding two at-bats. I thought it was a good time. But overall I thought he did a good job keeping us in there.

Q. What did you think about the whole mouthing off between Manny and Flaherty? Was that necessary?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think again that's just -- I chalk it up to emotions. Both guys are just competing their tails off, and sometimes you don't think before you speak. So I don't know what was the instigator about it. I have no idea.