Dodgers: Dave Roberts Talks Archie Bradley and Diamondbacks Scuffle
The Los Angeles Dodgers lost their first game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, in a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.
Tempers were flaring after Diamondbacks closer, Archie Bradley hit A.J. Pollock on the wrist, and after review, the umpires called it an out, instead of hit by pitch. Bradley told Pollock to get off the field, following that decision.
Once the game finished, and the Diamondbacks won, Archie Bradley started chirping toward the Dodgers dugout, and Alex Verdugo, Russell Martin, Dave Roberts, Max Muncy, did not like that. The benches cleared after the game, with Dave Roberts being in the center of it, and Archie Bradley, after starting the conflict, walking away to the locker room, shortly after the benches cleared.
Dave Roberts on the AJ Pollock call in the 11th inning and the benches clearing at the end of the game. pic.twitter.com/fyfHCC7aMv
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 10, 2019
Dave Roberts on the altercation following the loss:
“Typically, I’m very political with umpiring, but they missed it, I mean, that’s just the fact. You have a system in place to get it right, and it was clearly wrong, and that impacted the game. Very rarely do I say that, you know, play impacts a game, but first and second base, nobody out, versus first base, with one out, changes the complexion of that inning, clearly. Anyone who knows the game, understands that. When a ball hits a guy’s wrist and pops up, and replay says that it was off the knob where the player reacts, and the ball off the knob, is not going to react that way, so to not have the intent or the conviction to get the right call, they impacted the game. So that’s one part of it, and then you get a guy trying to get off the field, you know, trying to feel his wrist, make sure things are all still in place, and then you got a pitcher shooing our guy off, where A.J. does nothing but play the game the right way. So if there’s a player that takes more time than a pitcher thinks, A.J. is not that guy. So our guys took offense to that, and after you get the save, you finish the game, and then you look into our dugout, and pop off, unnecessary.”
Dave Roberts on Diamondbacks staffer roweling things up again:
“I just saw something over there where things are getting diffused, and then you just see another person, really trying to instigate, and it’s not necessary. So, I don’t think that we kind of instigated anything to be honest with you.”
Dave Roberts on Kenley Jansen’s performance:
“His ball just didn’t have any life to it, to be honest with you. He gives up a flare off the bat of Ahmed, after that leaves a pitch up and out over. So, that was the ninth inning, to be honest with you. We had a lead in the ninth inning, really didn’t do a whole lot, didn’t do anything offensively, outside of those two runs, so I know you still got to keep tacking on, so it’s one of those games, that collectively, we lost a baseball game.”
This all would have meant nothing if Jansen had done the job. A closer who you can’t trust with the game is not something you can take into the playoffs, unless you plan on having some of your starters move over to pitch the late innings. Maybe have Jansen as an opener? How much damage can he cause in the first inning? ; )
Pennants and Championships are won or lost in the BP. Honestly, I would be really surprised if Dodgers get out of the 1st round of playoffs with last night’s BP showing by Jansen but also would be surprised due to the non existent offense last night. 2 runs on only 2 hits WILL NOT GET THE JOB DONE!!
Well said. Looking strong now vs teams that are restructuring and tanking is not going to be the same in the WS. We are extremely poor at pitching adjustments, Darvish 2017, Hill 2018 and now just going in without a closer is not looking good. Jansen has empty numbers in the save department getting those vs mostly noncompetitive teams. All you have to do is see his pitches in the low 90s to understand he is average at best.
Dodgers better have a plan B for the closers role. Kenley got his big contract and like others is starting to stink the place up. Dodgers are gonna keep running him out there, hope he finds his stuff, or it’ll be a short playoff run this year.
The Dodgers have no choice but to make the best of what we’ve got internally. The playoffs are going to be very challenging without a reliable closer. But the fact of the matter is our offense was virtually shut down last night. Baez and Kelly looked great tho. As for Archie Bradley…..he hit AJ and, therefore, was in no position to be telling AJ to get to the dugout. I personally enjoyed watching the- brawl- that- wasn’t.