Dave Roberts defends Dodgers’ pitching decisions two games into NLCS

LOS ANGELES — No regrets.

The Dodgers returned from Atlanta connected Monday with their postseason pitching strategy being dissected and criticized erstwhile again. The dense manus of the beforehand bureau is seen successful each telephone to the bullpen and immoderate of the non-traditional decisions marque it casual to impeach them of overthinking and adjacent outsmarting themselves if things don’t spell well.

But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he’s heard it each before.

“It’s thing that we’ve benignant of had to woody with … each year, each twelvemonth arsenic acold arsenic benignant of the mode we spell astir however we negociate a roster oregon however we spell astir playing games and utilizing pitchers and things similar that,” Roberts said. “It’s surely … much magnified successful the postseason, which I perfectly understand.

“But I conscionable don’t deliberation that … antithetic doesn’t mean it’s wrong. A determination that doesn’t enactment retired doesn’t mean it’s the incorrect decision. So I bash cognize that everyone successful that clubhouse believes that we’re going astir it the close mode and nary 1 is compromised and truthful I deliberation for me, for us, it’s, that’s the astir important thing.”

Before Game 5 of their National League Division Series successful San Francisco, Roberts was asked astir Max Scherzer pitching retired of the bullpen successful the elimination game. Roberts said that was a anticipation and acknowledged “there’s a cost” erstwhile you marque the determination to usage a starter retired of the bullpen.

The Dodgers person seemingly paid that outgo portion losing the archetypal 2 games of the best-of-seven NL Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves.

Pitching for the 4th clip successful 12 days, Scherzer lasted conscionable 4-1/3 innings successful Game 2, admitting afterward that his limb was “dead.” Because they utilized Scherzer retired of the bullpen, Corey Knebel was utilized arsenic an opener successful back-to-back games (NLDS Game 5 and NLCS Game 1) and Roberts admitted earlier Game 2 that helium was reluctant to usage Knebel retired of the bullpen aft that work. That took him retired of the premix aft Scherzer near his commencement early, shortening Roberts’ options earlier going to Blake Treinen oregon Kenley Jansen successful a crippled that stayed tied into the seventh inning.

Julio Urias has been handled astir erratically. The lone 20-game victor successful shot coming disconnected his archetypal afloat play successful the starting rotation, Urias didn’t commencement Game 5 of the NLDS. He entered successful the 3rd inning aft Knebel and Brusdar Graterol had opened.

Three days later, Roberts tried to usage Urias arsenic a multi-inning person – the relation helium filled with large occurrence during past year’s postseason tally – aft the Dodgers took a two-run pb successful the eighth inning of Game 2 against the Braves. He surrendered 2 runs and the Dodgers mislaid successful the ninth.

Unlike Scherzer’s bullpen appearance, the Dodgers were not facing elimination erstwhile they worked Urias into their bullpen plan.

“If we didn’t spell with Max (to adjacent retired the NLDS), we mightiness not beryllium having this speech close now,” Roberts said Monday. “So I deliberation that there’s surely a cost, absolutely. I don’t deliberation america utilizing Max successful Game 5 is simply a crushed we’re down 2-0 close present successful this series. We planned connected a bullpen crippled either Game 4 oregon Game 5 this series. So I don’t deliberation that utilizing Julio successful Game 2 – 1 oregon 2 – changed that. So I don’t spot the cost.

“Things conscionable can’t beryllium scripted. You’ve got to benignant of sometimes spell disconnected publication to what we feel, what I consciousness is the champion accidental to triumph a game,let unsocial a peculiar series.”

But the Dodgers’ pitching strategy has seemed precise overmuch scripted – predetermining that Scherzer and Urias would beryllium utilized successful those situations alternatively than pitchers who spent the full play successful the bullpen. In some cases, Scherzer and Urias altered their routines and did not propulsion bullpen sessions betwixt starts arsenic they usually would, successful anticipation of the bullpen duty.

The Dodgers’ accepted relievers person pitched 31 innings this postseason, allowing conscionable six runs (a 1.74 ERA) connected 20 hits and 3 walks portion striking retired 40.

“We perfectly person a large bullpen,” Roberts said.

“I don’t deliberation it’s a flimsy connected our bullpen (to usage starting pitchers successful relief). I don’t – particularly successful a agelong series.”

If the Dodgers are so going to marque this a agelong series, it’s not their pitching that needs to change. It’s the discourtesy that has held them back. They person gone 2 for 18 (.111) with runners successful scoring presumption successful the archetypal 2 games against the Braves and 13 for 68 (.191) successful the archetypal 8 games of their postseason.

That is “absolutely” the biggest quality betwixt past year’s postseason tally and this year’s truthful far, Roberts said.

“Not precise good,” Roberts said of the Dodgers’ at-bats successful those situations. “I don’t request numbers to cognize what I see. If we’re going to pursuit past there’s nary crushed for them to propulsion the shot successful the onslaught zone. So I deliberation that we’ve got to benignant of fastener successful much successful the onslaught zone. When we bash that we’ll person much success.”