Dodgers HC Dave Roberts shares bold take on Shohei Ohtani’s bad play vs Blue Jays

Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers endured a setback in the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays. Just a day after Ohtani etched his name into the record books with his 40th home run, nearing a career milestone, the Japanese standout faced a challenging outing that drew public remarks from his head coach, Dave Roberts.

Even for the elite players in Major League Baseball, mistakes can attract scrutiny. Ohtani, typically the recipient of accolades, faced criticism for a pivotal misstep that impacted the Dodgers‘ efforts.

The game concluded with a narrow 5-4 victory for the Blue Jays, making Ohtani’s error stand out. In an unusual turn, Roberts candidly addressed the media post-game, providing his perspective on the situation.

When questioned about Ohtani’s attempted steal in the sixth inning, Roberts remarked, “That was his decision. Not a good baseball play.” This clear statement highlighted the missed opportunity for the Dodgers and underscored the gravity of Ohtani’s misjudgment.

Roberts comments on Dodgers’ loss

In the unpredictable world of baseball, sometimes a game can hinge on mere moments of luck or missed opportunities. This is one potential explanation for the Dodgers’ unexpected loss, where they relinquished a lead held since the sixth inning. Roberts did not hide his frustration, acknowledging the critical timing of this loss as the team approaches the end of the regular season.

“I just felt there was no way we should lose this game today… For us not to win today, it’s a frustrating one,” Roberts expressed to the media. These remarks came after his team failed to win the series by 3-0 on Sunday.

Roberts reflects on Conforto’s performance

The Dodgers faced struggles not only due to Ohtani’s subpar performance but also because of Michael Conforto’s quiet night at the plate. Conforto, limited to just one plate appearance, ended with a strikeout and failed to make an impact on the stat sheet, drawing questions from reporters during the post-game conference.

“I mean, you can’t ask for a better pitch… a 3-1 count and a pitch that couldn’t be placed on a tee much better, you got to move it forward,” Roberts commented. His words highlighted the missed opportunities in a challenging game, one that ultimately allowed the Blue Jays to gain more ground in the American League East standings against the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.