Dave Roberts has developed a bit of a reputation for a quick hook during his tenure as Los Angeles Dodgers manager, and received plenty of criticism for that tendency.
When Roberts pulled Kenta Maeda in the seventh inning of a brilliant 12-strikeout shutout performance against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, with the Dodgers only up by two runs, fans let Roberts hear it.
They booed the manager all the way up until Roberts took the ball from Maeda, at which point their boos turned to standing ovation for Maeda.
“I think that it’s one thing where if I was running for office and I’m trying to get the crowd approval, but I’m trying to help us win a championship,” Roberts said after the game. “That’s something that’s well thought out, and it worked out. They don’t always work out, but I have reasons why I do what I do.”
Maeda did not appear thrilled with getting taken out of the game, either, but later said he was understanding of the move.
Roberts expected and appreciated that reaction. “I don’t expect any of our guys to want to come out,” Roberts he. “He pitched a very good game, and I appreciate that (desire to remain in).”
Maeda got the win on 6.2 innings pitched, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out 12 while walking none. He set a new season-high single-game strikeout total, just one off his career high of 13, which was set against the Padres in 2016.
“It’s hard to imagine him being any better,” Roberts said. “Especially when you just saw a team less than 10 days ago. To go out there and play that cat-and-mouse game, execute the fastball like he did, slider down below, the changeup, split changeup, striking the slider, shortening it when he needed to. It was really fun to watch. He was great all night.”
Maeda only needed 85 pitches for his 20 outs, making it seem as though he could have at least finished the inning. Roberts, however, made it clear he felt comfortable with limiting Maeda even in such a dominant start.
“Over certain times we’ve pushed him, and there’s other variables,” Roberts explained. “With the regular rest and extra time, things like that, are layered in as well.”
Roberts tabbed Scott Alexander to enter in relief after Maeda exited, and Alexander retired rookie Padres catcher Austin Allen to end the inning. In the top of the eighth, though, Alexander was removed after dropping a throw from Max Muncy while covering first base.
Alexander has been shaky at times in 2019, and was coming off an outing in which he could not stop the Dodger bullpen’s collapse against the Washington Nationals on Saturday night. However, Roberts maintained he did not hesitate to call on the lefty to finish the seventh inning on Wednesday.
“No, no. I think that for me, Kenta was on regular rest, and that seventh inning I started to see the ball go a little bit wide,” Roberts said.
“The slider wasn’t as sharp, he made a good pitch on Renfroe, (but) missed a couple times with the fastball in the zone. For me, I just felt it was a great outing and just felt that was the time.”
Fortunately for Roberts and the Dodgers, Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen finished the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to seal the 2-0 win.
Roberts become the only Dodgers manager to guide his team to the postseason over his first three seasons at the helm, and with the team owning the best record in the National League, he looks well on his way to reach October for a fourth straight time in 2019.
