Of course you have to give the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ roster for performing in an ultra-tight Game 7 in the 2025 World Series to win a second-straight ring.
But from my view? Dave Roberts put on a managing masterclass, pulling the right levers and making the right moves at the right time when the season was on the line.
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“Doc” got a lot of credit from players and beyond, so we’re doing the same here. Let’s run through some of the brilliance we saw from the veteran manager who is now a four-time World Series champ (including three from the bench).
Starting Miguel Rojas paid off
The utility player hadn’t played much since Oct. 8, appearing in the 18-inning marathon in Game 3 and in Game 6. He hadn’t hit a home run since Sept. 19.
Yet there he was, hitting the game-tying homer in the ninth and making a tough defensive play to save a run:
His pitching decisions seriously worked out (mostly)
Shohei Ohtani wasn’t at his best on short rest, but Roberts brought his starters out one by one when the Dodgers needed them the most — Tyler Glasnow came after Justin Wrobleski, Blake Snell followed Emmet Sheehan, and of course his use of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, which needs its own section.
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He leaned on Yoshinobu Yamamoto on ZERO days of rest
I mean, where to begin? Bringing in Yamamoto a day after he threw 96 pitches was a massive risk. But the World Series MVP didn’t give up a run in 2.2 innings and 34 pitches. Unreal.
He brought in Andy Pages who made the defensive play of the game
Pages was brought in for his defense in center field, and he somehow caught an Ernie Clement warning-track flyout that wasn’t a guaranteed catch for Kike Hernandez. Sure, he ran the outfielder over, but it saved the game and won the Dodgers a title. All because Roberts brought him in.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Dave Roberts managing decisions that won Game 7 for Dodgers