Is Dave Roberts mis-managing the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Is Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts managing the team out of a World Series title?
The 2017 World Series has been a battle for the ages, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros clashing in a heavyweight fight. With the series tied 3-3 and the deciding Game 7 tonight in Southern California hanging in the balance, you would think the Dodgers would be in the right spot to win it all with that home-field advantage.
Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts has stuck with a formula that has flourished, winning an MLB best 104 games, while cruising through the National League portion of the playoff bracket.
He has more than met his match with the Houston Astros, a team that has hardly in holes in its game, stacked from top to bottom. That same method that put his team just one game away from winning their first Fall Classic since 1988 might be the same reason they fall just short of that goal.
Typically, Roberts allows his starting pitchers to go through the opposing team’s lineup twice, then handing the keys to his stout bullpen.
At one point this season, the Dodgers were a perfect 45-0 while leading after 5th inning this season, with many thanks — 43 reasons to be exact — to All-Star Closer Kenley Jansen.
The Astros could care less about the past, with Jansen blowing just his second save of the entire season during Game 2 of the World Series while coughing up the lead in the eighth inning.
Roberts stayed away from his usual method, by bringing in his closer an inning earlier than he typically would.
The reasoning is due to over analyzing on Robert’s part. By pulling Rich Hill after four innings, the Dodger’s relief was depleted allowing the Astros to have the edge of the later innings of two key World Series games.
Dave Roberts’ favorite parts of being Dodgers manager:
— The Pickle (@sportspickle) November 1, 2017
1. Taking Rich Hill out of games.
2. Other stuff.
The Game 2 result was a 7-6 Astros win, allowing them to even the series in the process. More of the same happened in a classic Game 5, with the Astros outlasting the Dodgers 13-12 in extra innings, giving them a 3-1 series advantage.
It’s easy to play baseball expert from my couch and I am not out on the front-lines where Roberts is, but this series would already be over if the Dodgers’ manager stuck with his starting pitching 1-2 innings longer in each of those contests.
By over managing and not using a bit of common sense, Roberts may cost the Los Angeles Dodgers their first World title since the Reagan administration.
Dave Roberts probably drives around in his car changing radio stations midway through every single song.
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) November 1, 2017
The Dodgers have the complete team to overcome the mismanaging of Roberts, however, as well as earning full trust by his players, in spite of this stubborn method of his.
Dave Roberts after the Marwin bomb and he realized he had already used up his entire bullpen. pic.twitter.com/b16XOICVcf
— José (@The_Hozay) October 26, 2017
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Dodgers’ third baseman Justin Turner backed up his manager’s unique blueprint for success, focusing on the faith he has in his players.
“It comes down to the trust that Dave and the front office has in the guys in the clubhouse. And just because a guy has a bad game or two doesn’t mean you tear up the blueprint and start from scratch.”
Roberts defends his style of managing, trusting his way of doing things to the very end, with the very strategy working out for him in their Game 6 3-1 victory.
“You just can’t really get caught up in just chasing results. You have to kind of really believe in the process and I know I do.”
I applaud Dave Roberts and his team’s trust in this approach to the game. However, if you don’t have the arms in the bullpen to counter the lethal offense of the Astros, there is only so much a strategy to do.
For the Dodgers’ sake, hopefully, their bullpen isn’t depleted entirely, or they will watch the Houston Astros celebrate a World Series title, raising the Commissioner’s trophy on their very field.
Game 7 concludes the Fall Classic tonight on Fox, with a 8:20 EST first pitch, with a winner take all game with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Dodgers in sunny Southern California.