Dodgers: Dave Roberts Keeps Game Plan for Rest of Regular Season Simple
The Dodgers still trail the San Francisco Giants in the standings and time is running out. Dave Roberts however, isn’t exactly comparing the remaining schedules for the two teams. When asked about the Dodgers taking care of business against lesser competition, while the Giants are in the middle of ten straight games against winning teams, Roberts simply said:
“Honestly, it’s important for us to win every game.”
After this series against Arizona, the Dodgers have a three game weekend set in Cincinnati. Then, they’ll continue the road trip in Colorado and Arizona. That’s two series against the worst team in baseball, Arizona, and one series versus a Colorado club that has nothing to play for.
Roberts reiterated that the Dodgers are just focused on winning every game, not schedule analysis.
“I don’t know how we’ve been with teams above .500, below .500. Where we’re at right now, in the win-loss, we’re in second place and we have to win the rest of our games. I really don’t care. I don’t think our players care about what their [opposing teams] records are. If there’s an opponent to be had, we want to beat them.”
Final Thoughts
The Dodgers have been in second place for most of the year. Through Sunday, the Giants have been in first place for a total of 130 days according to Baseball-Reference. Including Tuesday’s tilt, the Dodgers have just 17 more games to catch up and win the NL West.
In addition to winning a ninth consecutive division title, the Dodgers would also avoid the chaos of the single elimination Wild Card game. A one game playoff wreaks havoc on a rotation, the bullpen, fans’ sleep schedules and everything in between.
This Dodgers club was built to win seven game series.
To get there, the task is simple, just win every game.
NEXT: Max Scherzer Thrilled to Finally Watch Clayton Kershaw Pitch
Im hoping we win every game and the giants can lose like i dont know at least 6
Keeping it simple is NOT Roberts …………
Agree. If Roberts had kept it simple, Dodgers would be up 4-5 losses instead of 3 losses down.
HE CANNOT CHOOSE A STARTING LINEUP OR HANDLE A BULLPEN OR HANDLE A STARTING LINEUP. RESTING YOUR TOP PLAYERS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IS STUPID.
Kirk, man is that ever the truth about Roberts!
“Honestly, it’s important for us to win every game” – too bad Dave didn’t keep that in mind earlier in the season and we wouldn’t be chasing the Giants. Too many spa days. Too many bullpen days. Gave up by allowing Justin Turner to pitch. Bellinger always in the lineup. Idiot.
Absolutely agree. We would be comfortable sitting atop the NL West if Roberts wasn’t the manager.
o TOTALLY AGREE. iN THE FRIDAY GAME IN THE LAST GIANT SERIES, HE USES HIS CLOSER, JANSEN, IN THE EITHTH INNING OF A TIE GAME, THEN WHEN THE DODGERS GO AHEAD IN THE TENTH, JANSEN IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE WALKING DISASTER MANAGER LOST ANOTHER IMPORTANT GAME BECAUSE WHEN THE GIANTS WON IN THE ELEVENTH ROBERTS HAD TO USE ONE OF THE REJECTS THE DODGERS HAD PICKED UP FROM ANOTHER TEAM. I WONDER IF SCHERTZER WOULD HAVE HAD A PERFECT GAME GOING INTO THE NINTH IF ROBERTS WOULD HAVE LET HIM PITCH. HE HAS ALREADY TAKEN A PITCHER OUT OF A GAME THAT WAS PITCHING A PERFECT GAME A FEW YEARS AGO. WHY IS HE AFRAID TO LET A PITCHER COMPLETE A GAME. URIAS HAS ALREADY HAD AT LEAST TWO GAMES THIS YEAR, WHEN HE WAS TAKEN OUT WHEN HE WAS PITCHING A SHUTOUT, AND THE RELIEVER LOST THE GAME. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE A BULLPEN.
Well Dodgerglenn, you’re totally right on here! But as I’ve said before
Thats Roberts for ya.
Roberts isn’t going to change anything that he has done, not only this season, but over the past six years. We are dealing with a lot of missed games because of injuries, slumps, and Roberts mis managing his personnel both position players and pitchers. His in games decisions and lineups don’t make sense a lot of the time. He is under the gun this time and if he hadn’t screwed up on some of the games we lost because of his decisions, we would easily be in first place. We only needed to win three of the games we lost and we would be in first place. It’s easy for him to make those personnel decisions now because he says we need to win every game. He should of been managing that way from day one. Even if we go 13-4 the rest of the way, the Giants only have to go 11-7 for a tie. Let’s see what management thinks of Roberts if we don’t finish in first place and even if we do, watch out for the Brewers with their pitching staff.
I haven’t been able to enjoy the season due to Roberts being the manager. All I do is scream at the TV over his imbecile managing. I’ve lost my love of baseball and the Dodgers because of Roberts the Clown.
Fan Since ’63. (What a great year to start.)
Yep, doesn’t get any better than sweeping the Yankees!
It’s amazing to think of how the Dodger pitching staff held that dominant Yankee team to a TOTAL of 4 runs in those 4 games.
mqarep – you do know the definition of insanity? doc is a great manager and will prove all of you doubters wrong – again – just like last year!
Joe, GREAT managers don’t lose the Biggest games more often than they win.
Let’s see what management thinks of Roberts if Dodgers were to lose that one and done Wild Card game. I know what their reaction will be; oh Roberts has 8 division titles in a row in 9 years and will unfortunately not only sing his praises, but will keep him in the dugout for next year…
Roberts is on the Manfred list as well Paul, Roberts who pushes all of the communist ideals p.o.l.i.t.i.c.a.l.l.y will be protected by the media just as he is now regarding all of his boneheaded line ups and experiments. We’re stuck with him just like we are with the inept 46…
Dodgers are going to be fine. Take the giants out of the equation and the Dodgers are the best team in baseball this season and will easily win over 100 games. Gnats have played well all season but they can be beat in a series. if the giants keep winning out, the Dodgers will host and win the Wild Card no matter if the opponent is the pods or reds. then the Dodgers will beat the giants in the division series, as Dodgers are getting healthy (finally) and giants are holding on. Oh and don’t forget, after we eliminate the giants we have home field advantage throughout the playoffs and World Series!
Joe, a lot of If’s involved there. The Vagiants don’t have to worry about ” IF” their manager will plug in the right mix of players, or IF their team will fold down the stretch. With Roberts, we do…….
It’s all come down to that one series we lost in late July to Frisco when with the right guy closing and a better manager we win 3 out of 4
That and the most recent series where Roberts aligned the pitching staff to face the Braves ( Who had absolutely NO advantages in schedule-record-Anyway possible) and had a worthless bench in mckinnley-Mckinstry Bellinger to face the vagiants. To make up for his ineptness, he plays Will smith at 1st who misjudges a throw and the Dodgers lose the series because of it. yet ANOTHER blow it by Roberts…..
The Dodgers had their manager and let him go. He now fronts for their rivals, the giants. And Goofy, er, Roberts, continues to manage, if you can call it that, as if he’s at Disneyland. Clueless is not a good look for a team that let who should be managing them get away.