Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Gives the Giants Credit on Winning the Division

This year was not only exciting for the Los Angeles Dodgers but the San Francisco Giants. Both teams had a big year, with a lot of big wins. The Giants ended their season 107-55, which sent the Dodgers to the Wild Card spot.

After Sunday’s win, Dodger manager Dave Roberts talked about LA being second in the NL West and the Giants overall season.



To go through what we went through and win a lot of ballgames, it was a great regular season. It really was. You have to give credit to the Giants. They had an even better regular season. … They took it from us. I don’t think we just gave it away. Our guys didn’t waver all year. So it’s not the path we planned out. But now our focus turns to Wednesday and winning a ballgame on Wednesday.

Not ideal for the Dodgers to have to play the Wild Card game considering they were only one game behind the Giants with 106 wins. This team has worked tirelessly to get to where they are. LA has been battling injury after injury, even right as the regular season came to an end. Now, they need to figure how they are going to move forward.

Dodger right-hander Walker Buehler echoed that sentiment.

“It is what it is,” Walker said of the second place finish despite 106 wins. “We played some really, really good baseball. There’s a lot of things running around about teams that won this many games and didn’t win the division. But I think we still feel good about that. We won a lot of baseball games and we feel good about ourselves walking into the playoffs.”

The Dodgers will be playing the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, October 6th at Dodger Stadium. If they win on Wednesday, they will play the Giants in the National League Division Series on Friday in SF. 

NEXT: Could We See a 2017 World Series Rematch in 2021?

30 Comments

  1. I have always been more afraid of a Giants rebirth than of anything from the Padres. Zaidi is the best talent evaluator in baseball and was the key to most of the Dodgers “steals” in the past decade. And clearly Kapler is a better manager than he showed in Philly. They both know the Dodgers from the inside. The good thing is that Belt, Crawford and Posey can’t play forever.

    1. With all due respect rainbird, the “steal” of the century was pulled off this year by AF and Co! Max Scherzer and Trea Turner ring a bell?

    2. No question Zaidi is talented and the Giants are a big threat with him running their show but it’s hard to separate who was key between him Friedman. Other than Muncy – who was clearly Zaidi’s alone – who knows whose input was most important. Friedman had drafted and acquired talent before Zaidi and has continued since.
      Right now Zaidi and Kapler’s stars are justifiably bright but let’s acknowledge the Giants have enjoyed career bests by several of their players by wide margins during this magically season for them. Regardless of what happens this post-season, I wonder if they can sustain it next year.

      1. Bum, very well put. Agree with everything you say. The Giants are significantly older than the Dodgers and will have to soon find replacements for many of their key pieces. Wade has been a Muncy-like find for them as has Ruf. Kapler is a very good manager and we know what Zahidi can do. But I’ll ask anyone to show me a better post-season record than the AF/DR combination.

  2. I will also go on record pre NLDS and say the Dodgers will pummel the Giants when it matters most.

  3. That 5 – 15 stretch really cost us. Many thought no one would be close to us at the end. But like I said, it really cost us. So did our not aligning our pitching staff for our last series with the Giants and Roberts use of the relievers in that series. I hope Roberts does not cost us another World Series.

  4. This is a warning to Roberts and the Dodgers offense. YOU MUST FIND OTHER WAYS to win on Wednesday besides swinging for the fences and showing no plate discipline and coming into this game with the wrong approach against Wainwright. Roberts cannot act inept as far as the lineup goes because if he does and Dodgers show that inconsistency again, their off season commences on October 7th. Dodgers MUST not over swing but MUST do the little things well in order to win.Small ball when situation calls for it. Dodgers will find themselves wanting and on the outside looking in if they don’t. If they strike out 10+ times that may just be part of what ends their season.

    1. Paul, Dodgers know what’s at stake on Wednesday and will be extremely disciplined IMHO. Yes, Wainwright is a very good veteran pitcher. However, he has 0 Cy Young awards. Scherzer has 3 and possibly a 4th. As stated in a previous post, JT and AJ Pollock were not in the lineup when Wainwright faced the Dodgers in St. Louis. Huge difference IMO. My contention is this game gets away from the Redbirds early.

      1. I hope you’re correct of course. If Dodgers can be successful with their approach against curves and other off speed pitches from Wainwright they should do ok. Wainwright won’t blow hitters away with a blazing fast ball but Dodgers must show good plate discipline against his other pitches.

  5. Hope you are right. I think we are going to really miss having Muncy in the lineup. Concerned too that Roberts will start Bellinger who will kill us with his strikeouts and lack of plate discipline

      1. With Betts, Seager (who is unconscious btw), the Turners and Pollock, I think the Dodgers will be just fine. The Giants will be a bigger concern that goes without saying.

        1. exactly – and don’t forget Lux who is raking RH pitching. Dodgers got this at home with Mad Max on the bump

      2. Paul the Dodgers never make excuses. They have plenty of weapons to beat ol’ Wainwright and the cards.

  6. I just hoping for a win, however it happens. This might be the last straw for Arenado, who could then opt out so that he can finally, FINALLY sign with his boyhood team; the Dodgers!

    With the DH coming next year, J Turner could easily do that while spelling Arenado occasionally. Gives us better defense (JT’s knees) and retains hitting. Seager is going to the Yankees, so Arenado replaces that bat. Trae slides to SS….

  7. Beaty at First or RF. The other option at first is Taylor. Bellinger strikes out an our future hall of fame option if he gets on base will clog them up. He would best used in a pitch hit situation. Just my opinion. Will see what Roberts does.

  8. Beaty at first ok, RF? Are you kidding? He is such a defensive liability out there. Yes, Betts has had a real bad regular season for him, but I think he shows up come crunch time. We will definitely miss Muncy that’s for sure, but the Giants are without Belt too.

      1. Joe, I commented on your lineup in another post so excuse the redundancy, but JT and 1st and CT at 3rd is a bad idea when we already have 2 guys out of position in Trea and Lux. No need to have 4 guys out of position! Beaty at 1st swinging a hot bat makes the most sense IMHO. Although I’d love to see Tio Albert there just for the drama!

  9. Like Paul 65 stated , the Dodgers need to focus on small ball , don’t try to be a hero ,don’t try to long ball everything , especially Taylor , He is looping his swing more , more strikeouts than contact , advance the runner when needed .The Dodgers need to get ahead early and stay ahead , they cannot put pressure on themselves not scoring and it’s going late in the game , with a tie or behind , they have to win this game and win it early , then think about the Giants.Lets BEAT the cards first ! We will definitely miss MUNCY but hopefully Robert’s would be making the correct decisions whom is to play in his place , and the team playing smart ball.

  10. With a big assist to the umpires in July.
    A swing that wasn’t called a swing. 🙁
    Still can’t believe the umpires blew that call.

  11. I see that Jayce Tingler, Padres Manager, got the axe. No surprise there given their 2nd half implosion. See, it’s not easy managing superstar egos like Tatis and Machado. It’s not easy managing period! That’s why I give Doc so much credit for the job he’s done! Simply remarkable. Dodgers are lucky to have him.

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