Dave Roberts admits feeling ‘afraid’ of coming back to LA for Game 6 against Yankees in 2024 World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers coach Dave Roberts admits feeling afraid of the scenario of coming back to Southern California for Game 6.
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Dave Roberts (Image via Imago)
The 2024 World Series saw the two top teams of baseball, the New York Yankees battle it out against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In this clash of the titans, the Dodgers ran away as 4-1 winners after 5 games. Coach Dave Roberts has now admitted that he was ‘afraid’ of coming back to Los Angeles for Game 6.
The Dodgers got the best possible start they would have hoped for in the series by winning the first three games and taking a 3-0 lead. However, the Yankees lineup came to life in Game 4 and claimed an emphatic 11-4 victory in Game 4 to enforce Game 5.
In World Series history, no team had enforced a Game 6 after being 3-0 down in the series. The Yankees almost became the first team to do so after they started strong in Game 5 and took a 5-0 lead.
However, a poor defensive showing in the fifth inning saw the Yankees make several errors, allowing the Dodgers to level up the game at 5-5. The visitors would then go on to win the game 7-6 and wrap up their eighth World Series title.
In an appearance on Mookie Betts‘ podcast, On Base With Mookie Betts, Roberts explained that the noise and pressure would grow on them for giving up a lead if they came back for Game 6 in Southern California.
When you’re down 3–0 everyone is expecting you to lose, anyway. So now, that, for me, is freeing. And they played free, won Game 4. And I will tell you this now, publicly, I was so afraid to come back to Los Angeles for Game 6. If we were to come back, the noise, the pressure, becomes real because then you’re gonna start potentially being part of history in the wrong way.
Dave Roberts said
“I will tell you this now publicly, I was so afraid to come back to Los Angeles for Game 6." -Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pic.twitter.com/041ymiYupN
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) November 5, 2024
As of yet, only one team in MLB’s long history has come back from a 3-0 deficit. Roberts was a part of that team as during the 2004 American League Championship Series, the Boston Red Sox came all the way from 3-0 down to win the series 4-3 and eliminate the Yankees.
Dave Roberts reveals his thoughts about facing rivals Padres in NLDS
During his appearance at the On Base with Mookie Betts podcast, Dave Roberts and Mookie Betts discussed facing their division rivals, the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series. In this discussion, Roberts claimed that he thought facing them was the ‘biggest challenge‘ in this title-winning run.
After winning Game 1 of the NLDS, the Dodgers found themselves on the brink of elimination following losses in Games 2 and 3. The NL West champions would eventually come back to win Games 4 and 5 and progress through to the National League Championship Series by winning the series 3-2.
I felt from my perspective that was the World Series. When we started the postseason, they were 1 through 26 the best team… They were no longer afraid of us. We’re familiar. They beat us up in the regular season. So they were hungry. They hadn’t won a championship. So I felt that that was going to be our biggest challenge.
Dave Roberts said
"I felt, from my perspective, that was the World Series."
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) November 5, 2024
Dave Roberts shares his thoughts on the NLDS vs. the Padres pic.twitter.com/R0O2Qqjh89
After knocking out the Padres, the Dodgers faced the red-hot New York Mets. In a thrilling NLCS matchup, the Dodgers emerged victorious in Game 6 and won the series 4-2. This led to them taking down the Mets’ cross-town rivals, the Yankees in the 2024 Fall Classic.
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Vinay Dave
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