Dave Roberts praised the Los Angeles Dodgers' offensive approach and Shohei Ohtani's performance following a high-scoring win over the Colorado Rockies on August 17, 2026.
Of Ohtani, Roberts said, "there's nobody better on the planet." He added that Ohtani's night stood out for his plate discipline, noting, "tonight was really exceptional in the sense of his pitch selection," and pointed to his opposite-field power and ability to handle breaking balls at Coors Field's altitude.
Roberts described the team's identity as built on patience at the plate, saying, "you earn good pitches." He cited Max Muncy's at-bat, in which Muncy battled back in the count before homering, as the moment that best captured that approach, calling it "the at bat that really kind of encapsulates, you know, who we are." Roberts noted the team's swing percentage was much lower than it had been over the previous six weeks, and mentioned it had been six weeks since the Dodgers had scored this many runs in a game. He also noted that Freddy had gone a career-high 18 games without an extra-base hit before this contest.
On the pitching side, Roberts said Blake pitched well overall despite a rough third inning that included three straight walks, adding, "for him to be able to get through six here was fantastic" in helping preserve the bullpen. He explained the plan to get Edwin work during his outing to develop through ongoing changes, acknowledging, "the results weren't good but I still think that him getting out there pitching major league innings is going to help him." Roberts expressed hope that the pitcher doesn't lose confidence while working through mechanical issues with his fastball, stating, "I just hope he doesn't lose his confidence."
Roberts also addressed Kyle Tucker, acknowledging he is frustrated and mentally struggling after a fielding error. He described Tucker misjudging a routine fly ball and catching it at his ankles as a sign of where his head is right now. Roberts noted Tucker had been given a mental day off before the game, and said the team needs to keep supporting him.
Looking ahead, Roberts said the same offensive formula of earning pitches and winning counts needs to be repeated against Colorado's Felner the following day.