Dave Roberts addressed the Los Angeles Dodgers' 1-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers during a press conference on August 15, 2026.
Roberts reacted to facing an opposing pitcher who threw the first four pitches of the game at 104 mph, saying, "I've never seen, you know, the first four pitches of a game at 104." He also recounted a moment when the pitcher struck out Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded, escaping a high-stress situation.
Despite the loss, Roberts framed several moments positively. He said getting through six innings against the opposing starter and getting Aaron Ashby to throw two innings were both wins. He praised Jonathan Hernandez for resetting the bullpen during the game, and he assessed the two home runs the Dodgers allowed, calling one a good pitch that was hit well and the other a mistake pitch to Joey Ortiz. "I even told him, I said it was one bad pitch for me, the Ortiz pitch, but I thought he did a really nice job," Roberts said.
Roberts also said he hopes the opposing pitcher receives credit and publicity, calling him "a great kid." He noted the team has some players currently ailing, which complicates potential roster decisions, and he acknowledged that with Hernandez throwing three innings and the Dodgers having only seven relievers available, questions arose about whether a coverage move would be needed. Kyle Hurt, who had previously been optioned, could only return under specific roster conditions.
Roberts said the Dodgers have a fresh bullpen and will have Hurt available to see if a roster move is necessary. "We do have Kyle Hurt coming just to kind of see, you know, if something—you know, we'll tax him and we'll figure out, you know, if we need to make a move," he said. He added that the team would discuss next steps after the game and make sure everyone was okay before deciding on any moves, noting the loss still leaves a chance to split the series and win the season series the next day.