Five months back, Dave Roberts led one of baseball’s most unforgettable games.
During the off-season, he seemed a little hesitant about reliving that moment.
When he was asked at Fan Fest in January if he had revisited the Game 7 replay from last year’s World Series, he joked, “No, I haven’t—out of worry it might play out differently.”
Such was the intensity of last year’s final game. In a nail-biting 5-4 victory, the Dodgers were on the brink of losing in the bottom of the ninth, yet they clinched their second World Series title and aimed for a historic third consecutive win this year.
Now, just before the start of the new season, Roberts decided to reflect on that night, analyzing key moments of the game in a discussion with the California Post.
“I’m really nervous watching this,” he laughed. “I lived it, but who knows, it could have all been a dream.”
Bottom of the 3rd inning
Shohei Ohtani, pitching after a few days’ rest, had trouble finding his rhythm in the third inning. George Springer opened with a single and managed to reach third. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was intentionally walked, then another walk followed. The Dodgers then loaded the bases hoping for a double play with Bo Bichette at the plate.
Roberts: “I noticed Ohtani’s struggles by the second inning. He wasn’t at his best. You have to ask yourself, he got through two scoreless innings, but at what point do you sub in another pitcher?”
Roberts held off on substituting pitchers, and Bichette made them pay dearly, hitting a three-run homer that shook Rogers Center, putting the Dodgers at a disadvantage they would deal with for much of the game. So, how did they bounce back from such an early setback?
Roberts: “It goes back to 2024 against the Padres. If you think about ’21, ’22, ’23, we faced early deficits and came back. We had this toughness and grit. Remember Game 7 back in 2017? We went down three runs early but still won. Even in Game 3 here, we fought back from a 3-0 deficit.”
Top of the 9th inning
By the ninth, the Dodgers had managed to tie the game, but with only three outs left, pressure was mounting. Quique Hernandez struck out, leaving Miguel Rojas, who hadn’t hit in a month, up next after being put in the lineup for Game 6.
Roberts: “I felt he would give us a solid at-bat. Something just told me. Once we decided to include him in Game 6, I was committed to Miguel. I thought he might surprise us.”
Rojas worked the count to full and then launched a game-tying homer into left field. When he made contact, Roberts remarked, “There it is, right there.” As the ball soared, Roberts smiled and shook his head in disbelief.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said.
More incredible events were on the horizon.
Bottom of the 9th inning
Yoshinobu Yamamoto came back for the ninth, having thrown 96 pitches the night before. It was around 2 p.m. when Manager Roberts decided to entrust the season to Yamamoto.
Roberts: “He was our ace. In elimination games, especially Game 7, there’s no time for excuses. You have to trust your best players.”
After hitting the first batter, Yamamoto faced Dalton Varsho and got the grounder he needed. Rojas attempted to throw to home, and the play was close, reviewed to check if catcher Will Smith stayed at home plate.
Roberts: “I thought for sure that was out. But it was a perfect split second after a fastball from Yamamoto. People don’t realize that he tossed a heater there. Even as Miggy stumbled, he still managed to throw accurately.”
The inning concluded dramatically when Andy Pages caught a deep fly ball in left-center, despite the noise and chaos around him.
Roberts: “It was so loud. You can talk all you want about communication, but in moments like these, it’s about committing to the catch. Those guys gave it their all. What are the odds you’d get through that inning without a run?”
Top of the 11th inning
In the top of the scoreless tenth, Smith finally gave the Dodgers their first lead of the night with a homer against Shane Bieber.
Roberts: “Freddie [Freeman] gets recognized for his big hits, but Will has also been a clutch player. He hit that 2-0 curveball for a home run. It’s incredible because that was his weakest pitch.”
Bottom of the 11th inning
Yamamoto returned to the mound to close out the game, but Guerrero Jr. led off with a double, and then Addison Berger walked, leaving runners on the corners with one out as Alejandro Kirk came up.
Roberts: “My thought was to get out of this jam with a tie. Kirk’s pulling the ball, which isn’t his usual style. I wondered how that might change the dynamic of the at-bat.”
However, Kirk broke his bat on a splitter. Mookie Betts then fielded a grounder and pulled off a double play.
Roberts: “I couldn’t believe what just happened. I was thinking about tying the game. I didn’t even register it initially when we won the World Series.”
The Dodgers erupted onto the field to celebrate. After a joyous moment with his team, Roberts stepped out and raised his arm in triumph, sealing his third World Series title and affirming the Dodgers’ legacy.
Roberts: “It’s pure elation. It took a total team effort to achieve this. We needed some luck too, but you make your own fortunes in baseball. That’s what makes the game so significant. This will go down as one of the greatest moments in sports history.”
