NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 7, 2026

Dave Roberts

Truist Park

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Dodgers - 4, Braves - 1

Q. When you think about this bunch and just the ways they win, what goes through your mind?

DAVE ROBERTS: I guess amazement. Our guys just continue to fight, persevere. You never know who the guy's going to be. Tonight Andy picked us up huge with a big hit. Henriquez was great. The young kid, De Paula, with a big pinch-hit bat, keeping that inning going. Max with a homer.

There's so many guys -- what Freddie did with the glove with the bat this series.

I have so much respect for Walt, his staff, the Braves organization. And to come in here and win two, it's not easy.

We have a lot of work to be done, but we're going to celebrate tonight and watch the end of that last game and figure out who we're going to be playing the next couple of days. But it's a good group.

Q. How important is clinching tonight in terms of looking ahead to the next round and having your rotation set and established?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's important. It was very important. Once you get to an elimination game, a Game 5 or a Game 7, anything can happen. And to be able to win today, get back, reset, have a day off tomorrow, set the rotation, it's huge.

And regardless if it's the Padres, if it's the Brewers, we've got our work cut out.

So kind of enjoy this one, get Shohei a couple of days to get back. Freddie, he had a big series. But, again, a couple of days will help him. Give our guys in the pen a little reset. So we'll be ready to go Game 1.

Q. You know how hard it is to win in the postseason. You know how good that team is, how good they were in the regular season against you. What does it say about your team that it felt like, especially on one side, that was kind of not close to the peak of what your team can accomplish, and to come in here and win two games and take the series in four?

DAVE ROBERTS: The postseason is different than the regular season. There's no correlation to the success you have in the regular season into the postseason.

For us, you've just got to be playing your best baseball, and guys have got to step up in big moments. That's what it takes. You've got to have some good fortune as well.

And like I said, any series, five-game series, seven-game series, every team is good. It was going to be a battle. It was good to see us come out of this one.

Q. You guys were behind Shohei at the plate and he walked and stole a base. You guys came back right away, so how big was that inning?

DAVE ROBERTS: It was just good to see him take an at-bat, get on base, be patient, steal a base and get going.

So he's scuffling right now, but I really believe that he's going to come to life at some point. And I believe in him. Our players believe in him.

So it's just good to know that we can still win a series when he's not doing what we all know he can do.

Q. How good is it to have, in this time of the season, of the postseason, to have Edwin Diaz in his best shape?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's great. He's had a tough season. He's been hurt. He was having trouble with his delivery and went on a long rehab assignment. But to get him pitching the way -- that's the reason why we got him. The last two nights, that's the reason why we acquired a guy like Edwin Diaz. He's one of the great closers in the game. For him to be pitching his best right now, that's what you hope for, and I give him a lot of credit.