Dodgers - 8, Reds - 4
Q. Just how much of a test was that for you guys from the way the game started with Teo's dropped ball to having to kind of rally and push Yamamoto, especially as you look at how this team kind of responds to those moments as you move forward in October?
DAVE ROBERTS: It was a great test. And we didn't waver even after that first inning. Guys stayed positive, stayed within themselves, kept taking good at-bats.
And Yoshi stepped up once again and added some pitches in that first inning he was locked in. For him to get us into the seventh was huge. And us to tack on offensively and defensively, we were playing great. And it's good to see Roki finish that game too.
Q. Is Roki your closer now?
DAVE ROBERTS: I trust him, and he's going to be pitching in leverage. So the more you pitch guys and play guys, you learn more. So, like I said about Yamamoto, I don't think the moment's going to be too big for Roki.
Q. Every year is different, but how far do you think this team can go? And would you like to get back to the World Series and play the Yankees again?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think we can win it all. I think we're equipped to do that. We certainly have the pedigree. We certainly have the hunger. We're playing great baseball. And in all honesty, I don't care who we play. I just want to be the last team standing.
Q. What have you seen out of the offense the last couple of nights to kind of keep piling on runs, finding different ways to score like they did in the later innings tonight?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think what we're seeing is winning pitches, using the whole field, fighting and not trying to just slug. I think we're taking team at-bats.
Situationally, we've been fantastic, and even Rort at the bottom, whether it's a sacrifice, the fight to slap an 0-2 double the other way to get on base. We're doing whatever it takes, whether it's a sac fly -- even Shohei in a situation, getting a guy over to set the stage for Mookie. Just team baseball. Team at-bats.
Q. And in that eighth inning what did you see out of Emmet? What prompted you to make the move there, and how do you view him going forward after this?
DAVE ROBERTS: I trust him, it was his first kind of real crack at kind of late leverage. He wasn't sharp, but I believe in him, I really do. And I think for me to think that he can get through Benson, although he had count leverage, to then feel like he can get through McLain, he would have been over 30 pitches, I just didn't think his stuff was as sharp.
For me I just had a gut feeling that, give Vesia a chance to get leverage versus Andujar or if they leave Benson in. And I liked him against McLain and Freidl. And that's my thought.
But Emmet did a fine job. It just wasn't sharp tonight.
Q. Mookie's turnaround this year has just been kind of insane. Can you just kind of talk about what kind of player he is, to how have that start and now come through like he always has and be one of the best players in the world?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think it started when he just kind of just gave up on chasing having a career year, chasing an MVP or whatever it was. I think he just kind of was resolved to just let that go, play for the present and the future and play to help the team win.
I think that just took a little bit -- a lot of pressure off him. And everything kind of unveiled and he got to be the player that he was and freed himself up. Yeah, he's playing fantastic baseball.
Q. What are you seeing out of Ben Rortvedt and his place in taking Will Smith's place right now in the postseason and what he's been able to do offensively?
DAVE ROBERTS: Ben has been an unsung hero. Just coming in here trying to replace an All-Star catcher. He has the trust in the pitchers. He's a servant first. He receives well. He throws well.
He just understands who he is as a hitter. So to be able to kind of move runners, see pitches, put the ball in play, get hits when we need him.
He's been fantastic. And he had big shoes to fill, but he's done a great job with the fingers, the catching, all of it.
Q. How much of a lift is it for the team when Kiké has some of these big October moments and especially the double tonight that kind of flipped that inning in the fourth and got you in the lead?
DAVE ROBERTS: That was huge. Kiké is obviously an energy-giver. When he's playing, playing well, guys feed off of that. Miggy Ro is like that. Teo is like that.
But October Kiké is something pretty special. And the track record speaks for itself. Throughout history, he's one of the best throughout history of the postseason.
Q. Let me ask you about the next city. So Shohei's starting Game 1 in Philadelphia?
DAVE ROBERTS: Yes, Shohei is going to start Game 1.
Q. The next series, is your mindset all the way flipping to Philly already?
DAVE ROBERTS: Very talented ballclub. It's going to be a fun environment. I think we match up really well with those guys. They're going to run a bunch of left-handers at us. Talented, all throughout the lineup. They got Trea back. It's going to be a fun series.
Q. You've had now both ways, with the week off and playing a Wild Card series. Do you think it's more beneficial to just be playing every day?
DAVE ROBERTS: If you can bank getting through the Wild Card series, I think so. It just kind of takes on some downside, obviously, playing in the series. But getting through it the way we have kind of seamlessly getting to the next series, I think we're in a good spot.
Q. And you'll be sharp going into the next series?
DAVE ROBERTS: And we'll be sharp going into the next series.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports