WEBVTT - Dodger Talk (8-20-26) 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.639 This is world champion Dodger Talk. 0:00:02.720 --> 0:00:04.519 Here regard again. We're gay running. 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:07.400 Back hosted by Dodgers in Cider David Bassi. 0:00:07.480 --> 0:00:08.600 How are ye threepeat? 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:09.080 In the mix. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:12.360 Dodger Talk is brought to you by La County Public 0:00:12.440 --> 0:00:17.560 Works Champions Recycle Beverage Containers make the play Recycle Today 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:21.239 and by Children's Hospital LA from Colds to Cancer. 0:00:21.640 --> 0:00:24.320 We got this to get him on the show called eight. 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:27.160 Six six, nine eighty seven two five seven, and be 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:30.520 sure to follow Dodger Talk wherever you catch your podcasts. 0:00:31.280 --> 0:00:33.720 Here's your host, David Basset. 0:00:35.280 --> 0:00:38.159 Hey, welcome the Dodger Talk on an off night, a 0:00:38.280 --> 0:00:40.920 day off for the Dodgers, but no off nights for 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:44.800 Dodger Talk here on five seventy LA Sports. We're with 0:00:44.960 --> 0:00:49.559 you until eight o'clock tonight here on five seventy LA Sports. 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:52.680 And we have two great guests coming on the show. 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:56.240 Had a chance to sit down with Dave Roberts in 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:59.480 his office and we'll share that conversation with you coming 0:00:59.560 --> 0:01:02.960 up in eight minutes. Also at the bottom of the hour, 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:07.880 ESPN's best Buster Only will join us to give his 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:11.120 thoughts on the Dodgers where they stand in the three 0:01:11.240 --> 0:01:14.280 peat because he did cover the Yankees when they went 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:16.480 for the three peat and even wrote a book about it, 0:01:16.640 --> 0:01:20.319 so he has pretty good perspective on that. Kyle Tucker, 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:25.480 and also the MVP race between Shohei Otani and p 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:29.280 Crow Armstrong. I also have three pairs of tickets to 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:33.200 give away tonight between now and eight o'clock for Sunday's 0:01:33.280 --> 0:01:37.280 Dodger game against the Pirates. It happens to be snail 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:40.440 Zilla Sunday. That's right, Blake Snell will take the mound 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:44.240 again at Dodgers Stadium this Sunday against the Pirates. A 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:47.480 very short homestand for the Dodgers after a very short 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:51.360 road trip to Denver, where the Dodgers swept the Rockies, 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.280 and I guess kind of got back on track with 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:57.880 their offense. They scored twenty four runs in the three 0:01:58.000 --> 0:02:01.280 game sweep of the Rockies, they scored eleven runs in 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:05.200 the first game, and we're able to have better at 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:08.200 bats now. I'm not going to say that I'm sold 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:11.480 that the Dodgers have brought back the focus and the 0:02:11.600 --> 0:02:15.079 quality at bats after three games at Course Field against 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:18.720 one of, if not the worst pitching staff in baseball, 0:02:19.240 --> 0:02:21.480 but I will say this, we saw a little bit 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:25.960 more focus and intent by the Dodgers in those three games, 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:29.680 even with them playing the Rockies and just before each 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:32.040 one of those three games. It could have been the 0:02:32.200 --> 0:02:35.080 fact that the Dodgers were at the end of playing 0:02:35.200 --> 0:02:38.600 thirteen in a row, coming to an end of an 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:42.400 arduous August schedule. It could have been those things. But 0:02:42.520 --> 0:02:45.800 I like to believe that the Dodgers understood the task 0:02:45.919 --> 0:02:48.840 at hand after losing three out of four to the Brewers, 0:02:48.960 --> 0:02:52.320 that hey, these three games they needed to get, and 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:54.720 they got the job done. They did what they were 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:57.480 supposed to do. They swept the Rockies. They now have 0:02:57.600 --> 0:03:00.720 a two game lead in the lost call over the 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:03.960 Braves for the number two seed in the National League 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:07.280 playoff picture. And they got their three best starters on 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:11.399 the mound this weekend at Dodgers Stadium, Yamamoto tomorrow night, 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:16.480 Schooble on Saturday, and Blake Snell on Sunday. Also a 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:20.560 little kicker to this series, the Dodgers won't see Paul Skeens, 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:22.959 who has had somewhat of a down year this year. 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:26.799 He was supposed to start last Sunday, but because of 0:03:26.919 --> 0:03:29.679 some of the issues he's had. The Pirates decided to 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:33.040 give him some extra rest and started him on Wednesday 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:37.080 against the Tigers. So the Dodgers will not see Paul 0:03:37.160 --> 0:03:41.440 Skeens in this three game series. Eight six six eight 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:44.520 seven two five seventy is the phone number. Just a 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:47.640 little pullback the curtain here on the Dodgers and their 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:51.080 travel from Denver to la last night. I did not 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:54.320 get back to my home in the San Fernando Valley 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:59.840 until four am this morning. The Dodger planes multiple planes, right, 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:04.360 players only plane. Staff plane did not land at LAX 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:08.240 until about two thirty this morning. By the time the 0:04:08.320 --> 0:04:11.640 people that decided to leave their cars at Dodgers Stadium 0:04:11.760 --> 0:04:15.360 got back there, it was about three ten this morning. 0:04:15.920 --> 0:04:19.200 And the reason for that is even though the Dodgers 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:22.440 fly two planes, they are looking out for each other, 0:04:22.680 --> 0:04:26.559 meaning well, mostly the player's plane. If the staff plane 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:30.279 broke down, I'm not sure anybody outside of Dave Roberts 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:33.760 and the coaching staff would be a jumping on that bird. 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:38.680 But nonetheless, if the player's plane has some mechanical issues, 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:41.800 the staff plane has to wait for them. And that's 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:45.239 exactly what took place last night. As we were trying 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:49.000 to leave Denver. The staff plane ready to go. We 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:52.920 were no mechanical issues, ready to go get off the ground, 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:57.120 but the player's only plane had some mechanical issues for 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:02.279 whatever reason, it wasn't starting. Yeah, the plane wasn't starting, 0:05:02.800 --> 0:05:05.560 so we had to wait for them to see whether 0:05:05.680 --> 0:05:08.040 or not they can fix that plane to get it 0:05:08.160 --> 0:05:13.479 to start before the staff plane could leave. So basically 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:18.240 the staff, the coaching staff, Dave Roberts, Mark Pryor, Dino Ebel, everybody, 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:22.279 Eric Carrouse, Stephen Nelson, Rick Monday were in my vicinity. 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:27.080 Those and the trainers and the Japanese support staff for 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:30.240 Roki was on our plane as well. That's the way 0:05:30.279 --> 0:05:33.320 it flies. We had to wait almost two hours to 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:36.559 see whether or not they can get help to start 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:40.760 their plane, which eventually happened. But if that player's only 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:43.680 plane was not able to start, they would have had 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:46.680 to crawl to the staff plane and join us on 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:50.760 the staff plane. But that's the reason why today's off day, 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:53.440 I'm sure for the players, was not really an off day. 0:05:53.440 --> 0:05:56.839 I'm sure they slept like I did until twelve o'clock 0:05:56.920 --> 0:06:00.560 this afternoon. But that's life in the big that's the 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:03.600 glamorous life. Can't just brow out with Jonas Knox and 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:07.200 talk about limb biscuit for fifteen minutes to end your show. 0:06:07.960 --> 0:06:11.320 You gotta really grind it out on a major league schedule. 0:06:11.480 --> 0:06:14.320 So here we are Dodger Talk with a great spirit. 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:16.320 I'm happy to talk to you. I'm happy to give 0:06:16.360 --> 0:06:19.840 away three pairs of tickets to Sunday's game to see, 0:06:20.240 --> 0:06:23.040 in my opinion, the best lefty on the Dodgers staff 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:27.640 so far since the since the trade deadline. To me, 0:06:27.880 --> 0:06:30.600 there's no doubt in my mind that Blake Snell in 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:34.320 his two starts has been more dominant than Schooble in 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:37.760 his three starts. Now, I'm not rooting for that, but 0:06:38.040 --> 0:06:41.320 I'm just saying, can we give Snell a little shine here? 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:45.280 Everybody talks about schoobl Blake Snell has proven it on 0:06:45.360 --> 0:06:48.960 the big stage last October that he can pitch on 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:52.640 the road in a hostile environment in Philadelphia and Milwaukee 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:56.120 and deliver. And we're waiting to see whether or not 0:06:56.279 --> 0:06:58.640 school ball can do that for the Dodgers this year. 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:01.719 Eight six six nine to eighty seven two five seventy 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:04.080 is the phone number I know. There's been a lot 0:07:04.120 --> 0:07:07.960 of talk and focus about Kyle Tucker, but in my mind, 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:12.040 in my world, he's not the only guy that should 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:14.720 take the burden, the brunt of the burden of why 0:07:14.840 --> 0:07:18.120 the Dodger offense for the last six weeks has not 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:21.040 been hitting on all cylinders. Freddie Freeman was in a 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:24.280 little bit of a slump for the first time this year. 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:26.800 Otani was in a little bit of a slump for 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:31.560 the first time since April. Andy Paz has been consistent. 0:07:31.760 --> 0:07:35.640 Max Munsey has had sixty seven big hits to win 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:39.040 games since the All Star break. But the Dodgers all 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:44.840 season long basically have gotten virtually any consistency if anything, 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:48.800 from not only Tucker, but Mookie Betts and Taoscar Hernandez. 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:53.640 They need those guys. And you know talk of not 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:57.720 having focus or maybe you know, taking it easy or 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:01.160 pacing yourself for the postseason, I could see that in 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:05.040 the case of Mooki and Taoscar Hernandez, because they know 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:07.160 what it's all about and they know how to pace 0:08:07.240 --> 0:08:10.080 themselves for that. Last year at this time, Mooki Betts 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:13.600 started to turn around his season. But the Dodgers need 0:08:13.720 --> 0:08:17.880 Taoscar Hernandez. And I'm a big believer in october Ta 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:20.520 Oscar and I think he is going to deliver big 0:08:20.680 --> 0:08:23.680 But until then, I think the Dodgers need a little 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:26.760 bit more from those three guys. And things are going 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:30.400 to change when Will Smith returns, which should be in September, 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:34.839 probably the beginning of September. The Dodger offense will will 0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:37.839 definitely get a boost when he returns, but with or 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:40.800 without Will Smith, they need those three guys behind the 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:44.480 first four. And after the game last night, Dave Roberts 0:08:44.559 --> 0:08:47.920 said that he saw a good look in Mookie Betts 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:51.280 before the game yesterday, and I asked Moki whether or 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:55.480 not he knew what that meant and explained how he's 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:56.520 feeling these days. 0:08:58.000 --> 0:09:02.599 I have no idea, Yeah, I have no idea. I 0:09:02.720 --> 0:09:04.679 try and have a good positive look every day. Some 0:09:04.840 --> 0:09:08.880 days are tougher than others. But maybe I got a 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:11.480 good night's sleep and I had a little energy, and 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:14.959 especially off a rough day yesterday, I really wanted to 0:09:15.280 --> 0:09:16.640 come and help the boys today. 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:19.240 You guys have had a lot of miles on you 0:09:19.320 --> 0:09:21.839 the last couple of years. Finishing a stretch like this, 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:24.480 thirteen in a row, having a day off like how 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:28.160 much does that help you guys moving forward into the 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:28.959 rest of audice. 0:09:29.720 --> 0:09:31.360 We mean, I don't know. I mean, you know, like 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:33.320 you said, we've played a lot, A lot of guys 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:37.200 are on the oder end of the baseball career, and so. 0:09:38.679 --> 0:09:39.319 It is what it is. 0:09:39.400 --> 0:09:42.880 I think we viewed more as wisdom. You know, we 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:44.960 know how to make it, make it through the season 0:09:45.040 --> 0:09:46.960 and through these long stretches. We know how to make 0:09:47.000 --> 0:09:50.680 it and be okay and understand that sometimes you play 0:09:50.720 --> 0:09:52.839 good through them and sometimes you don't. But the most 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:56.800 important thing is showing up and being ready, and we 0:09:57.720 --> 0:09:59.160 were able to do it, you know, in the finish 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:00.240 out this thirteen game. 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:03.880 Street all right, there's Mookie bets And I thought that 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:06.520 was a really honest answer and lends itself to my 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:10.640 theory that he and Taoscar Hernandez and even some of 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.680 the other players understand how to get through the dog 0:10:13.840 --> 0:10:16.400 days of August and be ready on the other side 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:19.599 for September into October, because that's when you want to 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:22.559 be swinging the bat your best and playing your best. 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:26.679 And I think Mooki definitely falls into that category. Eight 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.400 six six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy is the 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:31.599 phone number all right, we'll get to Dave Roberts in 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:35.079 five minutes, but we do have basically a full board 0:10:35.160 --> 0:10:37.120 of calls, so I want to get to them before 0:10:37.160 --> 0:10:39.960 we break. Usually don't take calls in the first segment, 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.480 but let's do it because we got Dave Roberts and 0:10:42.559 --> 0:10:45.319 Buster one coming up later in the show. Let's go 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:48.760 out to Kenyon Country. Raoul, You're on Dodger Talk with 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:59.480 David vasse Hi, Raoul, Raoul, let's try it again. Let's 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:02.160 I'm gonna change this, Ronnie really quick. I thought I 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:05.760 had it lined up, but one second, this is technical 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:09.720 issues from a remote site. I usually do the shows, 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:12.559 as you guys know, from Dodgers Stadium, and I have 0:11:12.760 --> 0:11:16.640 to definitely line it up. But can we punch up, Raoul, 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:21.280 Ronnie if you have a chance. Hey, Raoul, you're on 0:11:21.400 --> 0:11:22.000 Dodger Talk. 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:25.000 Hey, David. How you doing. 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:26.280 I'm doing great? 0:11:27.559 --> 0:11:27.719 Hey. 0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:30.680 So I just want to spread the word. A bunch 0:11:30.760 --> 0:11:33.920 of us Dodger fans on social media are going to 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:38.120 give Kyle Tucker a standing ovation on his first at bat, 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:41.000 give him some maybe lift them up a little bit. 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:44.880 A lot of negativity has gone his way. I just 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:46.880 want to put it out there, everybody that's going to 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:49.160 be at the stadium tomorrow during his first at bat, 0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:51.840 Please let's give him a standing No, let's give him 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:55.240 some motivation. We're gonna need Kyle Tucker for the stretch run, 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:58.880 and yeah, let's let's support our boys in blue. They're 0:11:58.880 --> 0:12:00.880 going to be struggled. There's I'm almost struggling. 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:01.679 We get it. 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:04.480 It's a long season, but I know I have a 0:12:04.559 --> 0:12:07.240 feeling that Kyle's gonna come up big for us in October. 0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:09.080 So we're excited. 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:12.120 Yeah, that would be big, Raoul. You know, he's only 0:12:12.200 --> 0:12:14.679 hitting one ninety at Dodger Stadium. I think we all 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:17.079 know by now what I brought up a couple of 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:20.240 weeks ago, because it's become a trend where he has 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:22.959 performed better on the road than at home. So I 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:25.079 like the spirit of that, Raoul, and I like that 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:27.920 it's kind of a grassroots thing and something positive on 0:12:28.040 --> 0:12:31.920 social media because there's a lot of negativity on social media. 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:34.480 I can't be the one to do that, Raoul, because 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:37.720 if you remember last year, I'm the one that sparked 0:12:38.080 --> 0:12:41.480 you and the fans to give Mookie Betts a standing 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:44.480 ovation because he has a lot of credit in this 0:12:44.679 --> 0:12:49.120 city and he deserved that positive reinforcement. And the fans 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:52.400 obviously listen to Dodger Talk, so that that worked out 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:56.079 pretty well after I started that. So I like the fans. 0:12:56.120 --> 0:12:58.360 If that's what you guys want to do, I'm not 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:00.120 going to say not do it. But I can't be 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:03.679 here every year saying give certain players a standing ovation. 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:08.800 Well, we're gonna do it, you know. I invite everybody 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:11.199 to do it as well. Let's go Dodgers. It's a 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:14.320 stretch run. I'll be there with my boy Abraham. 0:13:14.559 --> 0:13:15.080 We're going to be. 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:17.120 Cheering and let's go Dodgers. 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:17.400 Dave. 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:22.480 By the way, the podcast works beautifully on the iHeart 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:25.439 from the iHeartRadio app. I listen to it every morning 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:29.800 driving into work. I can't listen every night, but it it. 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:34.280 It's it's great, awesome, Raoul, Thank you, and have a 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:36.839 great time at the game tomorrow. Eight sixty six nine 0:13:36.880 --> 0:13:39.960 eight seven two five seventy is the phone number. Yeah, 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:43.480 if I know you listen. Obviously I was the one 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:48.000 that started the underswell of support for Mookie Betts last 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:51.200 year to give him a standing ovation. He obviously didn't 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:53.400 know that it was me. Because I never got to 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:58.120 thank you. But anyway, I'm happy the fans are doing 0:13:58.200 --> 0:14:00.720 that for Kyle Tucker because I had stually like Kyle 0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:04.480 Tucker personally. I've gotten to know him as much as 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:09.079 possible this year, but I am a I am a 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:13.000 Kyle Tucker fan as a person, and I obviously know 0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:16.240 how much better he can be at Dodger Stadium. So 0:14:16.640 --> 0:14:18.720 I think I think that would be a cool moment 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:23.200 if Dodger fans gave him a standing ovation tomorrow. Eight 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:25.760 six six, nine eighty seven, two five seventy is the 0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:28.760 phone number. Let's go out to Santa Barbara. Valerie. You're 0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:31.040 on Dodger Talk. How are you doing, Valerie. 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:32.560 Great? 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:33.160 How are you? 0:14:34.640 --> 0:14:34.840 Ah? 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:37.360 I will I got to bet at four am, woke 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:39.400 up at noon. I'm doing good, Valerie. 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.240 I'm doing great, And I just wanted to say I 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:46.760 do believe in it's Tucker. 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:49.000 I think he I'll do a little plum, but I 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:50.640 think all the players aren't. 0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:51.920 I vacuum. 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:53.480 I think he's got a pull through and. 0:14:53.960 --> 0:14:55.480 I think he's getting a lot of people out out 0:14:55.520 --> 0:14:56.880 of the clock for that right now. 0:14:57.080 --> 0:15:03.760 But Brady, say good, all right, Valerie, thank you for 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.200 the phone call eight sixty six nine eighty seven two 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:09.920 five seventy. Always positive vibes in Santa Barbara, I would 0:15:09.960 --> 0:15:12.560 expect nothing less. We're gonna take a time out here 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:15.800 on Dodger Talk. When we continue, we will hear from 0:15:15.880 --> 0:15:19.280 manager Dave Roberts as part of our Managers Meeting presented 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:24.160 by Downey Hunday and right now, Caller twelve, you'll receive 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:27.280 a pair of tickets for Sunday's game, one of my 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:30.600 three pairs of tickets to give away tonight. Caller twelve 0:15:31.000 --> 0:15:34.000 at eight six six nine eighty seven two five seventy 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:37.720 will receive a pair of tickets for Sunday's game courtesy 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:41.360 of your only place for the latest and most exclusive 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:44.440 Dodger news, as well as the only place you can 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:47.560 listen to the back to back world champion Dodgers right 0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:51.640 here on five seventy LA Sports and five seventy LA 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:55.720 Sports and the Managers Meeting taking place today, presented by 0:15:55.920 --> 0:15:58.680 Downy Hunday with the one and only Dave Roberts. Dave, 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:01.120 thanks a lot for the time, appreciate. 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:03.520 It, Dave. Good to sit with you and chat, you know, 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:05.680 coming off a couple of wins here in Denver, so 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:09.960 in a good place right now. Offense is kind of rebounded, 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:13.040 pitching has been good, so you know, want to close 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:13.880 these guys out. 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:16.280 Yeah, just to get the pulse of you and the team. 0:16:17.080 --> 0:16:19.800 After a couple of games here in Denver, what are 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:22.560 the vibes? Are you convinced things are going in the 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:23.240 right direction? 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:28.360 I am, you know, I'm not totally still appreciating results matter, 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:31.160 just kind of how we've gone about things the last 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:33.440 couple of days. You know, I think the team at 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:36.280 bats and what I mean by that is, you know, 0:16:36.560 --> 0:16:40.440 swinging a strikes, taking balls, our swing percentage is lower, 0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:43.680 our chase rate is lower, and then the production's gone up, 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:45.640 and I can see that from everyone in the lineup. 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:48.560 So that's something to bet on going forward. So yeah, 0:16:48.880 --> 0:16:50.880 I think that we stacked a couple of days together 0:16:51.040 --> 0:16:53.200 and just kind of the vibe right now. Guys are 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:56.440 feeling good. They're looking forward to that off day coming 0:16:56.520 --> 0:16:59.400 up tomorrow, and then we've got another one on Monday, 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:01.400 So you know, guys are in a good spot. 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:04.280 Dave, You've taught us a lot over the years, but 0:17:04.400 --> 0:17:07.480 the one thing that stands out to me is how 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:11.600 you've talked about earning good counts, which in turn has 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:16.080 good results. Where does that come from individually and collectively? 0:17:16.640 --> 0:17:19.600 Well, I think first it is collectively in the sense 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:23.960 of really understanding that that philosophy and buying into it, 0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:27.960 and then individually just understanding that, yeah, you get four 0:17:28.040 --> 0:17:31.280 balls for a walk, three balls for a strikeout, but 0:17:31.400 --> 0:17:35.320 they're all valuable, right, and so that dictates what a 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:37.119 pitcher is going to do, what he can do, what 0:17:37.240 --> 0:17:39.280 he can't do. And so you know, you take that 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:42.320 first pitch slider off, you're one to know you've earned 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:45.000 a better opportunity, whether that they want to be too 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:48.400 fine again and nibble, then you could be too to zero. 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:50.879 And so those are things that I think that you 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:53.800 continue to earn good counts and then you look at 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:56.480 the body of work. Then you look at you're in 0:17:56.600 --> 0:17:58.800 good counts, and then you have more production. 0:17:59.040 --> 0:18:01.479 Since you took over. I remember being next to your 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:04.720 dugout and those group of players and yourself would always 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:07.080 be screaming at the hitter at the plate, keep going, 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:10.440 keep going. Do you feel like that's the identity you 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:11.679 have to rediscover? 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:15.560 I do, you know, and we have it as part 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:18.000 of our DNA, But I think sometimes in a one 0:18:18.119 --> 0:18:20.840 sixty two marathon, you know, it's a grind, and every 0:18:20.920 --> 0:18:23.240 hitter will say that. Then it gets kind of lost 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:25.080 a little bit, and you got to kind of bring 0:18:25.200 --> 0:18:27.639 that to the forefront. And yeah, you could be O 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:30.080 two and you know, you win a pitch right there, 0:18:30.160 --> 0:18:32.640 you get back to one two, and you just keep 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:35.600 going and you you, you know, in max months he 0:18:35.680 --> 0:18:37.520 did it a couple of nights ago where he was 0:18:37.600 --> 0:18:40.520 O two and one, a couple pitches, got back to 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:43.120 two to two, spoiled a two to two inside heater, 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:45.280 and then got to three. Then the next pitch was 0:18:45.280 --> 0:18:47.480 a homer. You know, So those are things that you 0:18:47.640 --> 0:18:50.600 keep fighting, you keep going, and not just just wave 0:18:50.680 --> 0:18:51.359 the white flag. 0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:55.360 Dave your Best Player show. Hey Otani told me last night, Yes, 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:57.560 it was nice to hit his thirtieth home run of 0:18:57.600 --> 0:19:00.159 the year, but he was lamenting the fact that his 0:19:00.240 --> 0:19:03.359 other ad bats he wasn't able to drive in runs 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:07.320 in those situations. Is that a good feeling, a good 0:19:07.400 --> 0:19:08.960 tone setter from the best player? 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:09.480 It is? 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:09.960 It is. 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:13.040 And I think that everyone praises the homer and the 0:19:13.160 --> 0:19:15.480 things that you can kind of see, but you know, 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:17.760 not getting a guy in from third base, not getting 0:19:17.760 --> 0:19:19.560 a guy over second base. Those are things when you 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:22.720 have great players that lament as you said, you know, 0:19:23.000 --> 0:19:25.920 value those things, and you know that's when you have 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:29.120 a championship culture and you know, to hear Show Hey 0:19:29.800 --> 0:19:32.280 say that, that kind of that gives me goosebumps. 0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:35.359 I love it. Dave Roberts with goosebumps here. I got 0:19:35.400 --> 0:19:38.439 another question for Otani in last night. I asked him 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:41.480 whether or not he's paying attention to what PCA is 0:19:41.600 --> 0:19:45.119 doing in Chicago. He would not concede that he is, 0:19:45.320 --> 0:19:48.639 But how much do you believe the MVP and the 0:19:48.720 --> 0:19:51.960 way PCA is pushing him this year is a factor 0:19:52.080 --> 0:19:53.000 going down the stretch. 0:19:53.480 --> 0:19:55.080 You know, Show he's always going to want to be 0:19:55.200 --> 0:19:59.159 his best version right and realize whatever expectation he has 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:02.679 for himself. But obviously I think he's a very smart 0:20:02.800 --> 0:20:05.320 in tune player that it's hard not to ignore that. 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:07.760 And you know, you only get so many chances to 0:20:07.840 --> 0:20:10.280 be an MVP, and obviously he's done it, you know, 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:12.920 many times over. But you know, you got another guy 0:20:13.040 --> 0:20:15.639 making some noise, so I'm certain he's aware of it, 0:20:15.800 --> 0:20:19.480 but it certainly doesn't play into his every at that 0:20:19.800 --> 0:20:23.119 kind of mindset. But I'm glad. It's funny that he 0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:24.000 played Little koy. 0:20:24.840 --> 0:20:27.520 What about the pitching side of it? Everybody keeps debating 0:20:27.760 --> 0:20:32.359 PA's defense and Otani's fourteen starts this year. Where are 0:20:32.520 --> 0:20:35.040 we with the possibility of Otani returning. 0:20:35.320 --> 0:20:38.440 Well, he's had two good bullpen sessions right around thirty 0:20:38.480 --> 0:20:42.000 five pitches, and he's either gonna, you know, throw another 0:20:42.080 --> 0:20:44.560 bullpen here at home over the weekend, or do a 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:47.240 live session at some point soon, a one inning session 0:20:47.320 --> 0:20:49.920 to build off of that. But I could see early 0:20:50.040 --> 0:20:53.359 September him, you know, coming back and you know, building 0:20:53.480 --> 0:20:55.640 up from an inning to two innings and going forward. 0:20:55.920 --> 0:20:58.080 Are you comfortable with all that, doing what you did 0:20:58.200 --> 0:21:00.760