NL DIVISION SERIES: DODGERS VS PHILLIES

October 6, 2025

Dave Roberts

Citizens Bank Park

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Dodgers - 4, Phillies - 3

Q. How fun was that?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, that was a heck of a ball game. Lots to unpack in that one. To come away with a win right there, huge, huge momentum maintainer. So looking forward to getting back home.

But great ball game, great plays. Huge win.

Q. Did you consider at all going straight to Sasaki in the ninth? And what ultimately made you go with Treinen there?

DAVE ROBERTS: I thought about it. He hasn't gone two out of three much at all. Just figuring the run right there. Blake's pitched some of the biggest outs, innings, in the postseason for us. And felt really confident right there. And with Vesia behind him if needed.

So I didn't want to just kind of, you know, preemptively put him in there. Again, I felt good with who we had, with our leverage relievers, a couple of our highest-leverage relievers. And fortunately he was ready when called upon. And I liked him versus Trea, and he got a big out for us.

Q. In the context of the series and the context of what you guys are hoping to accomplish this October, what does it mean to get the two wins here?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's huge. It's absolutely huge. Guys are really stepping up. I thought Blake threw a heck of a ball game, Blake Snell. And what Emmet did was fantastic. I thought his stuff was good tonight.

And obviously what Roki has done has continued to show, has been very encouraging on a lot of fronts.

Q. Can you walk us through what you saw on the bunt play and what Max and Mookie did to be able to cover that and get that out?

DAVE ROBERTS: It was an impromptu play that, I just told Mookie, you know Stott's going to bunt. He's a good bunter. Let's just run a wheel play. And, Max, be aggressive, field it. And, Mookie, get over there and beat Castellanos there.

And those guys executed it to perfection. It was a lot tougher -- they made it look a lot easier than it was. And for me, that was our only chance, really, to win that game in that moment.

Q. Rob Thomson mentioned that part of why Stott stuck with the bunt is because Mookie almost disguised it with how late he broke to third. For him to execute in a moment like that at this new position that he's playing, what does it say about his growth there?

DAVE ROBERTS: He's a baseball player. It's one of those things where you can kind of organically create a play -- and certainly it doesn't happen with a tag play at third base -- and so he disguised it. And the foot speed, obviously, much more fleet of foot than Castellanos.

To still have to field it, lead Mookie, and then on the run and still make a tag play, tough play. And he hung in there with Castellanos bearing down on him. But Mookie's growth has been, you know, incredible.

Q. In that seventh inning, is that the kind of inning, from the contact to the base running to manufacturing runs that what you talked about seeing out of the offensive the last couple of weeks all that coming together?

DAVE ROBERTS: All that coming together. Just really good at-bats up and down the lineup. And even Will being inserted in the game to get a big hit right there versus Kerkering.

Can't say enough about what Ben Rortvedt's done for us to kind of hold it down for Will to get into the game. What he's done with our pitching has been incredible.

And the defensive plays by Freddie, huge plays. Even in that ninth inning to get the force out. And then to get that kind of in-between hop from Tommy. That was a huge, huge play. So just the at-bats, taking walks and all of that, the defense, base running, everything, just top-notch.

Q. You mentioned last game with Will kind of getting his feet wet. What does it mean to have his bat back for situations like this one in the seventh?

DAVE ROBERTS: It's great. He's our All-Star catcher. And you're just trying to play the middle of getting him back, working him back into kind of game shape. And it's just a little bit tougher to do in the postseason.

But when you have a guy like Ben, with what he's done preventing runs, makes it a lot easier. But I do think that now Will's got his game legs back, and hopefully he comes in good tomorrow for the workout and feels good for Game 3.

Q. For Rojas, with that play in which he was able to get the tag at the base for Trea Turner, he walked off a little gingerly after that. How is he doing? Is there any concern for him potentially moving forward?

DAVE ROBERTS: Miggy, great play, aggressive, heady play to get Trea at third base on the force play. And then the hamstring tightened up a little bit on him. It's something he's been dealing with for the past few weeks. Wanted to get him out of there.

Obviously liked Muncy coming into the game. We'll see how he comes in tomorrow. And his status, I would say it's fair to say it's day to day.

Q. Quick follow-up on the wheel play. We're getting conflicting evidence. Max says you don't even practice that in Spring Training.

DAVE ROBERTS: Not once.

Q. Somebody else said you did -- so, Max is correct?

DAVE ROBERTS: We don't practice that play. We don't -- and we don't.