NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DODGERS VS BREWERS

October 14, 2025

Dave Roberts

American Family Field

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Dodgers - 5, Brewers - 1

Q. Having starting pitchers go as deep as Snell and Yamamoto have the last two games, it something that doesn't really happy in today's game anymore. How and why have you guys been able to pull it off?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think if you look at the construction of our roster currently, the strength is starting pitching. And when you can have your most talented pitchers get the most outs, then you're in a good spot.

Right now, all four of those guys are in a really good head space. Physically they're sound. And you feel good about those guys starting a game and pushing them. And they're prepared for this.

Q. You've had a lot of good starting pitchers here with the time you've been in this job. But throughout your playoff career, there's certainly games you've had great starting pitchers and you took them out before the eighth, before the ninth. What's gotten you to the point where maybe you're more comfortable pushing these guys to 105, 110 pitches where maybe you weren't in the past?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think it's a combo of, I just think that right now each one of these guys is throwing the ball incredibly well. And obviously there's been things with the bullpen, but just trying to find the right spots for those guys. But again, I think for me it just goes to giving, kind of weighing out whoever is behind them has got to be a better option given where those guys are at.

I believe in all of our pitchers, but I think in each moment, I've got to evaluate each game and how they're throwing the baseball. And the last two nights, and even this postseason, I just feel really confident in the way the starters are attacking hitters, the efficiency, the way they're able to mix and give hitters different looks.

Q. Yamamoto had some big games for you last October. So it's not like it's totally coming out of nowhere. In the last year, what have you kind of seen come out of him that has allowed him to be the guy he was on this stage tonight?

DAVE ROBERTS: I see a real confidence. I think that's what it is. I think that last year certainly there's a transition -- and even in the postseason I didn't give him a whole lot of leash. And we also had a really talented bullpen, which we clearly leaned on and have talked about a lot.

But I think this year he's got true confidence from me that third time through, at pitch 90, he feels that he's the best option. I think, for me, that just gives me that confidence.

Q. Was it a tough call sending him back out for the ninth?

DAVE ROBERTS: No, no. It wasn't. It was more -- it was a hitter-to-hitter thing. We had Vesia behind him. But just the way he was throwing, I felt really good about him starting the ninth.

Q. What was with the mound meeting in the fifth when Will called out Mark?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, no, I didn't know what was going on. I think as I learned more later, it was Will thought there was a little confusion, and he didn't know if there was something physically wrong. So they just ended up turning that into a mound visit.

Q. It was kind of an anomaly, but the last time he pitched here he didn't make it out of the first inning. Then tonight, first pitch, homer. It didn't seem to bother him at all. How was he different now than maybe when he was here even in the summer?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think in totality, the season was fantastic. Obviously with the postseason, the focus is heightened. You give up the first pitch of the game, you give up a homer. And then you go out there and you throw a complete game. Was in complete command the entire night.

I can't really speak to that outing. But in the regular season, there's going to be good ones, there's going to be bad ones.

But right now, like I've said, our entire team is playing the best baseball we've played all year. The focus, the concentration level is at the highest, and we're peaking at the right time.

Q. Chourio got him on, what looked like a really good first pitch. How impressive was it for him to just shake it off, go back to getting ground balls, go back to the plan right away when the crowd's buzz, everything seems to be going in that direction?

DAVE ROBERTS: It was, but that's who he is. And that's who all of our guys are. Even those guys take a lead and we just don't panic. We keep taking our at-bats. And Yamamoto resets and manages that inning. And I think he just walked one tonight.

So, it just kind of speaks to obviously talent. There's a lot of talent in the room. It speaks to character in the sense of whatever happens, it doesn't faze us.

And our guys are hungry. We've got a lot of work to do. We put ourselves in a good position, but those guys, they're not going to quit. They're going to keep playing hard. And we know that. And we've got to play our best baseball.