Dusty Baker throws shade at Dave Roberts following NLDS loss
Nationals manager Dusty Baker threw some shade at Dodgers manager Dave Roberts after the Nationals lost the NLDS to the Dodgers.
The National League Division Series between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers featured a battle between two managers with entirely different styles. While Nationals manager Dusty Baker is an old-school manager who follows the book, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is more aggressive. Roberts made some very forward-thinking decisions throughout the series, which ultimately helped the Dodgers beat the Nationals in five games.
Game 5 was all about Roberts and his tinkering. He pulled his starter in the third inning and replaced him with his setup man. Closer Kenley Jansen pitched in the seventh inning and ace Clayton Kershaw got the final outs. Baker took some time following Game 5 to question Roberts’ decisions.
Dusty Baker: "I’d be interested to see -- they won the war -- but the effects of Jansen and Kershaw when they get to Chicago."
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) October 14, 2016
I asked Baker if the Dodgers' use of Jansen tonight could turn into a trend: "It’s not a trend that I’d like to be a part of anytime."
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) October 14, 2016
This sounds like sour grapes from Baker. Roberts’ decisions likely wouldn’t look as good if the Dodgers didn’t win, but they did, so it’s hard to question his choices. Sure, he took the book of traditional managing moves and tore it to shreds, but at the end of the day, Roberts won. Maybe the book needs to be torn to shreds considering the success of the Dodgers and Cleveland Indians. Terry Francona used a similar strategy with his pitching staff, which allowed the Indians to sweep the Boston Red Sox.
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Roberts made sure his best pitchers got him out of the toughest situations. His boldness should be applauded. Roberts left himself vulnerable to criticism after some of his moves but they were made with one simple objective in mind – winning. Yes, using Kershaw on very short rest likely leaves him unavailable to start until Game 3 of the NLCS. But at least there will be a Game 3.
If Roberts didn’t use him in Game 5 of the NLDS, they might not be in the NLCS at all. Perhaps instead of criticizing Roberts, Baker should take some notes.