Dave Roberts opened his postgame comments by acknowledging that not every loss carries the same weight, and that this particular defeat stood out as especially costly given how many relievers were used before it slipped away. He noted that Roki Sasaki had briefly lost his footing in the fourth inning before regrouping and working through six innings, and credited Michael Conforto for delivering a key hit off the bench. Even so, he pointed out that the relievers who followed were simply not sharp that night, which ultimately undercut a lead his team had carried into the ninth inning.
Asked directly whether frustration was a fair way to describe his mood, Dave Roberts agreed without hesitation, saying his mind was already shifting toward the next game even as he processed how this one had slipped away. He resisted the idea that lower-leverage innings could easily absorb the risk, explaining that doing so would require him to have other trustworthy arms available, and that, in all honesty, none of his other relievers were currently pitching well enough to justify that shift.
When pressed on whether a committee approach could replace relying on a single closer, Dave Roberts said such a change would first require other pitchers to establish themselves as dependable enough to make that a legitimate discussion. He pushed back on the notion of constantly shuffling roles based on short-term performance, saying he was not interested in chasing his tail by pulling a guy after one rough outing only to reinsert him later. He emphasized that every reliever on his staff has a job to do and is expected to execute it.
Much of the conversation circled back to Edwin Díaz, with Dave Roberts acknowledging that execution ultimately falls on the pitcher himself. He explained that Edwin Díaz is still working his way back and needs room to find his rhythm, while admitting that games like this one sting and matter in the moment. He added that he trusts the underlying stuff will eventually click, even though he is not yet at a point of concern that it won't.
Dave Roberts also addressed the added scrutiny that comes when a ninth-inning outing directly costs a game, calling that scrutiny fair but noting that changing routines is not simple for someone who has pitched at a high level for the better part of a decade. He described the bullpen's recent stretch as part of the rhythm of a long season, pointing to a run of games where the relief corps has been taxed heavily without much opportunity for lower-leverage rest. Still, he said the coaching staff would keep searching for anything that might help unlock better results, while admitting that, in this moment, he does not yet have a definitive answer.