Dave Roberts took plenty of heat after the Dodgers’ disaster in Game 2 of the NLCS, and it’s easy to see why.
Los Angeles was given chances by Milwaukee, with starter Logan Henderson handing them openings they managed to turn into a lead in the first inning, another run in the third, and a tie in the fifth. But once the Brewers settled in on defense, the Dodgers started looking like a team getting beaten in every direction - out-hit, outsmarted, and outplayed.
The box score told part of the story. Two of the Dodgers’ four runs came without earning them, and they managed just three true hits over the entire game. Shohei Ohtani is broken, and the Brewers had Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s number almost from the jump.
Roberts didn’t help matters. Pulling Roki Sasaki after only one inning to bring in Kris Bubic was the first move that raised eyebrows. Bubic then surrendered a game-tying homer to William Contreras, but the decision came down to Roberts wanting a lefty in there against Brice Turang.
That decision came back around again in the sixth. Roberts held up four fingers, choosing to intentionally walk Turang and set up right-hander Brock Stewart against right-handed Contreras.
It didn’t work out. Contreras, who looked every bit like Milwaukee’s NLCS MVP candidate, lined a go-ahead single on the first pitch he saw.
Dave Roberts intentionally walking Turang to get to a red hot William Contreras pic.twitter.com/3rsFWjEeFH
- AP (@TalksToPeople) October 12, 2026
Roberts has long been one of the more polarizing figures in Dodgers circles. When the team wins, his mistakes tend to disappear into the background. When losses pile up, especially with Los Angeles now down 2-0, the bad calls stand out in neon.
And this wasn’t happening with an undermanned roster. Roberts came into the season calling this the best team he’s ever managed, and he’s got three MVPs and nearly $400 million worth of talent at his disposal.
The flaws in that group are being exposed now, but some of the damage - like removing Sasaki or choosing to walk Turang - were entirely in Roberts’ hands. On this night, he looked lost.
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