Anyone who has spent any amount of time around Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knows that among his many other skills, he is the ultimate cheerleader. He is also known for saying exactly the right thing at exactly the right time.

During his pregame Zoom media session prior to Sunday’s season finale against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium, Roberts was asked: “Being in the position where you sort of don’t control your own destiny, how difficult is that just knowing that you guys can still play the way you guys have and you still don’t really have control of the division right now?”

To this, Roberts said exactly the right thing at exactly the right time:

“It’s the position we’re in, and everyone in that room understands that,” Roberts answered without hesitation. “And we haven’t come off the fact that if we play the baseball we’re capable of playing – team, fundamental baseball – we’re going to be World Champions.”

And they did.

Behind an absolutely brilliant pitching performance by (NL Cy Young hopeful) Walker Buehler in which he struck out 11 and walked one in only 5.0 innings pitched, and two home runs by (should be) NL MVP Trea Turner, including a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, it really didn’t matter what the Giants did up north. (They won, to capture their first NL West Division title since 2012).

This, of course, set the stage for the National League Wild Card Game, which will be played on Wednesday evening at Dodger Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals.

…in pursuit of becoming World Champions – again.

Play Ball!

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