Dave Roberts praised his starting pitcher's turnaround after the second inning on August 21, 2026, saying he completed seven innings and reset the bullpen in a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"Completing seven innings reset the bullpen, great outing," Roberts said during a press conference. He explained that the pitcher shifted into a different gear after struggling early, noting, "he sort of went into bully mode you know from that third inning on," as the pitcher pounded the strike zone with his fastball and slider.
Roberts pointed to a specific moment as evidence the pitcher still had energy in reserve late in the outing. He said the pitcher touched 99-100 mph in the sixth inning even around 90 pitches, adding, "in the sixth inning he was, he touched 99, 100, and, you know, that's at 90 pitches." The manager acknowledged he is still gathering information on the pitcher's stamina and pacing as he considers potential October starts, saying, "for me to gather information, um, still trying to learn him." Roberts also described the first inning as the most difficult part of any start, stating, "that first inning is always the toughest," and noted the defense fed off the pitcher's intensity behind him.
Turning to Kyle Tucker, whom Roberts manages, the skipper said he was glad to see Tucker come through in a significant moment given the scrutiny he has faced. "It was great. I was happy for him," Roberts said. He added that Tucker's recent performance, including a hard-hit double and a stolen base, is more representative of what to expect going forward, noting, "the last couple days is more of what we're going to see going forward."
Roberts also mentioned that home fans cheering for Tucker despite his struggles at home meant something to him, referencing the attention on Tucker's home splits. As a symbolic moment from the game, Roberts highlighted Tucker hustling to beat out a fielder's choice to extend an inning, calling it "just great to see him leg that fielder's choice out to extend the inning." The manager's comments reflected his ongoing evaluation of both the starting pitcher's readiness for high-leverage innings and Tucker's recent stretch of production.