The Los Angeles Dodgers’ series loss against the Detroit Tigers did not please manager Dave Roberts. The Dodgers are struggling with the lack of pitchers due to injury concerns, and they even called upon Brent Honeywell for the game, who was claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Roberts understands this, and he also talked about it in his interview with SportsNet LA, where he mentioned how he didn’t have anybody left on the roster by the ninth inning.
“Yeah, it’s certainly a frustrating one. It’s a way to finish off the first half. Today was tough because you only have so many options and you’re trying to get the most out of guys. Put up three runs in the first inning. I felt great about getting a lead. Unfortunately, we couldn’t tack on the other eight innings,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers have used 31 pitchers this season, the second most pitchers used by an MLB team this season, behind the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Had some opportunities and they just crawled their way back into the game. You look at the ninth inning and you have no one left available. Hudson’s not available. No one else is available,” Roberts added.
Dave Roberts is reportedly under immense pressure
The Los Angeles Dodgers must start winning games before it’s too late. Following a high-spending offseason that brought in Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the pressure to deliver a World Series title rests squarely on manager Dave Roberts’ shoulders.
While the Dodgers’ President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman deserves the credit for a championship-caliber roster, Roberts is tasked with turning it into on-field results. So, Buster Olney of The Athletic claims that the pressure solely lies on Roberts.
“Is there enormous pressure on Andrew Friedman at this moment? No. They don’t win the World Series, I don’t think he has pressure. However, I do think there’s a lot of pressure on Dave Roberts,” Olney told Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain.
Roberts needs to find a way to turn around things and lead the team to the World Series. As of now, despite numerous injuries, the Dodgers have managed to maintain a strong position. They hold a 56-41 record but have lost six of their last seven games.
