NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 7, 2026

Dave Roberts

Truist Park

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. You guys got to see Tyler Mahle earlier this season. I believe it was in April when he was with the Giants. As your team prepares for the start against him tonight, what looks different about him in his time with the Braves? And how are you hoping to see whether similar at-bats to last night, boosting the pitch count, or just similar at-bats in general for your team today?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think Tyler, the last couple of months, certainly since he's come here, he's been one of the better pitchers in all of baseball. It's a unique fastball that really bores in on left-hand hitters, has some life, some extension, plays up. He's ramped up the change usage. He's neutral versus left, versus right.

And so I think that, yeah, he's on a nice run here. We're certainly not going to take him lightly. We've got our work cut out.

To the grinding kind of thought, it's just the same mentality that we had last night. I thought we did a very good job executing a game plan, winning pitches. And we're going to need to do that today because it's a lively fastball, like I said, and there's some change for strike that can get you to roll over, there's some change down below for swing and miss. We've got to grind this guy, too.

Q. You saw Kiké Hernández back in the lineup, and in the past you've kind of found ways to get in him in as often as the postseason. I know he's only started one game, but do you foresee that going forward if he continues to perform?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, we'll see. I think for me right now I like Kiké versus Mahle. I like kind of neutralize the split, change. He can get on a fastball. I like where he's swinging.

But we'll see what happens today. But having him as an option, I think we've got some very good options, obviously. I also want to get Tommy involved at some point, too. So we'll see where we go.

Q. With Tommy, I know he's been slumping over the better part of the last two months, but him coming off the bench, because he is so versatile with his defense, how can that in a way be a benefit to how you use him?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, it is a benefit because you can insert him in a number of places and it's a dependable at-bat. There should be contact versus right, versus left. You can kick him out to center. I can play him anywhere on the diamond essentially.

And he's been a big part of what we've done, what we're doing. But having that bullet off the bench certainly also poses match-up issues too.

Q. And Edwin Diaz yesterday, that was his first save since middle of August. What did he show you in Game 2 that ultimately earned your trust to put him in the spot for Game 3?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's been a buildup his last four or five outings that we've all watched pretty closely. I think that the command of the fastball, the command of the slider to strike it, shorten it, swing and miss. And then at the end of the day he's been in this environment.

And I just feel that for us to win the World Series, he's got to be a relevant part of this equation. So I felt I've got to trust him at some point.

Q. Do you think having Freddie as the first lefty in the lineup and then Shohei kind of behind him in either the 4 or 5, how it is today, is that something you'll stick with going forward, do you think?

DAVE ROBERTS: I could see that, yeah. I think so. Yeah, I do.

Q. And with Shohei, you said last night that he's going to get hot at some point. What gives you the confidence from what you've seen from him over the last couple of weeks that you still think he's going to be able to look closer to himself going forward?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think for me is the misses are better -- and I say the misses are better because they're to the big part of the field versus hitting a ball on the ground to the right side of the infield.

I thought the pitch selection was better in total with all the pitches that he faced yesterday. I thought the intent to stay on the baseball was better than it was in games 1 and 2. So that's encouraging.

It's not what we all expect, what he expects from himself. But I do feel that just the talent, the care, it's going to happen. So I think it's just up to all of us to keep winning baseball games, and then at some point he's going to come to life.

Q. How is Miggy feeling today?

DAVE ROBERTS: Not great. Back's sore. Laying low. Won't be available today. I think for us it's, like, we have an extended bench anyway. So to try to make any decisions that would compromise his status for a potential next series doesn't make sense. So we're going to kick this one to another day.

Q. And the first hits of the postseason for Will and Pages yesterday. Have you seen any progress with their at-bats just from where it was the first couple of games the series?

DAVE ROBERTS: I have. I thought Andy's intent was much better. Staying above a fastball to hit the outfield grass was good instead of being big and underneath. I thought there was the one at-bat where he chased the first pitch. But I thought the controlling of the zone certainly versus Sale was really good.

Will is going to be fine. I liked the way he rode the ball out for a hit to the left. There's been some near misses with him. So I'm not too concerned about him.

Q. When you say Diaz needs to be an important part of the equation going forward, would it be overreacting then to say that he is back in the closer role?

DAVE ROBERTS: I think so. I mean, I don't think Shaikin agrees, but I think that that seeing where the game goes, I think that there's no downside, in my opinion, in seeing where the game goes, knowing that I trust him there. I've shown it. I trust Tanner, I trust Evan, different guys -- Vesia.

So I just think that I don't want to be beholden to one thing yet, because the game takes a lot of different turns. And if I feel that Edwin is the best person to extend the game, shorten the game in a spot, then I'm going to use him.