NL DIVISION SERIES: PADRES VS DODGERS

October 9, 2024

Dave Roberts

Petco Park

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. This is not the first time you guys have been in this situation. If you go two years back, or I guess three years back, going back to that Giants series, you were down 2-1, came back and won in five; NLCS 2020 down 3-1, came back and won. What does it take for a team to fight back and win this series?

DAVE ROBERTS: Up until the last couple of years we've been really good in elimination games. I think to your question, you've got to leave it all out there.

Every play, every pitch is of the most importance. You can't be afraid to fail. And then you've got to kind of -- it's win or go home and that kind of fight or flight mentality.

I think that mentality is the start of it. But, again, you still have to play a good baseball game.

So I feel good just kind of throwing a bunch of arms at these guys today, giving them different looks. And just seeing Cease a handful of days ago, just go out there, take good at-bats and see how they deploy their pen, and score more runs than them tonight.

Q. When it comes to the lineup, you've got Kike in center, Tommy playing at shortstop. First, how is Miguel Rojas doing today? And, second what, do you like about those guys in those positions?

DAVE ROBERTS: I trust Tommy at short. I like him there. As far as Kike, I just like him on the field.

Miggy Ro is banged up. I don't think he's even available but maybe in a pinch-hit spot. The plan is to win tonight, give them tomorrow off and be ready potentially for Game 5.

Q. With the pitching plan, you have Brasier starting today. Is Landon Knack kind of your length? How do you see deploying for the full nine innings?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think obviously Ryan's going to start. And we're going to go with our most reliable relievers. So I just don't know how Landon is going to fit in this particular game. But it could happen later, certainly in a plus-plus game. But at the outset, I think we're going to go with our most reliable guys.

Q. Do you anticipate the Padres treating this almost like an elimination game as well, going all out to avoid a Game 5 in LA?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think so. I think that shows some urgency on their part. I don't know if Cease has ever gone on short rest. But obviously, in their opinion, to feel that that gives them the best chance to win tonight to then not go back to Los Angeles. And they certainly have their reasons.

Yeah, I think that with that decision, they're kind of playing it as a must-win as well.

Q. I know you guys probably aren't thinking back to past years but do you think the fact you've been in this spot the last couple of years and haven't been able to battle back weighs on the in a game like this and does it add anything to the motivation levels, approaching this game mentally?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think some of that is true. I don't think they're looking back. I do think they're motivated. I know they're not scared of this moment.

Again, we have to play good baseball. I know they're aware of that, too.

It's going to be a battle tonight. It is. It's going to be a battle. We're expecting it. We're not going to run from it.

So I do think that the experience that we have will allow us to kind of rise to the occasion. But we have to play good baseball.

Q. Facing Cease for the second time, like, are there things you guys can either adjust or just kind of be able to game plan? Like, it's one of the strengths of you guys as a team to be able to adjust to guys.

DAVE ROBERTS: I think it's more of, obviously the pitcher dictates the at-bat. He's going probably to do, if he's had success with a particular guy, run the same playbook. If he hasn't, then he'll probably potentially deviate.

I think as a hitter, you're just going to be ready in your zone. And then if there's a mistake to be had, be ready to hit it.

Q. Where is Freddie's comfort level today or pain level at today with the ankle?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's -- it's just okay (laughter). It's just okay.

Q. Okay enough?

DAVE ROBERTS: Okay enough to give it a shot until it's not. As of right now he's in there. And he's doing everything he can to be in there.

So, like I said, he's in there right now. But unless something changes as he's getting ready, I might have to pivot. But right now he's in there.

Q. Shohei told us last night he's only thinking about winning two more games. He doesn't look nervous. What do you think about his mindset?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think that's the right mindset. I don't expect him to be nervous. I expect him to be ready to perform tonight.

Q. Going back to yesterday and the hitting struggles after Teoscar hit that grand slam, is there anything that you guys are going to change? Something you may say to your players so they don't get into that type of hit-less streak?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think some of the swings started to get a little too big. Not to say that the guys are just chasing slug. But I think that, yeah, after the hit, I think we got one hit, the Freddie base hit off Scott.

In the postseason, sometimes -- obviously slug is huge -- but getting a knock, getting a walk, creates some momentum too. So our guys are mindful of -- every pitcher is different. Cease is a guy that I think we've seen plenty of, but just trying to take good at-bats and not try to do too much, yeah.

Q. We talked about this a little before, having been in this situation three years in a row. Do you think this series needs to be seven games?

DAVE ROBERTS: Right now, I wish it were seven games. But you know what, shoot, I don't know, man. Obviously the seven-game series certainly gives a better test of the opponents. But yeah, we'll see if we can work on that. But I definitely like the seven-game series for sure.

Q. That might be a remedy for sitting around for five days, too?

DAVE ROBERTS: No doubt, absolutely.

Q. I understand your focus is on today, but last night you talked about Game 5 a little bit, Jack or Yoshinobu. And did you already decide who is the starter?

DAVE ROBERTS: We haven't. We haven't. We're going to try to get through this one and then we'll figure out, knowing they're both available, who makes that start. But we haven't decided yet.

Q. I hesitate to ask one particular thing because I know tonight you're surrounded every direction you look by urgency. One angle of the urgency -- the Padres have such a good bullpen. Is there the thought, like, obviously it would be helpful to have a lead after six innings, is that something that gets into everybody's mind in the dugout, let's get that early lead, or you can't think that way?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think you should think that way. It doesn't necessarily mean that it manifests into runs. But certainly getting a lead and having Mike deploy the bullpen differently is a difference-maker.

You don't know what you're going to get from Cease as far as length, but beating that starter certainly is of huge importance, especially against a bullpen like this, absolutely.