Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made history as the Dodgers earned a win over the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the National League Division Series to clinch a place in the NL Championship Series.
On Friday, Roberts managed his eighth win-or-go-home playoff game with the Dodgers, marking the most winner-take-all postseason games managed with one team in MLB history, via Opta Stats. Roberts broke a tie with former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox and former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre to claim the record.
It’s unsurprising to see Roberts break this record as the Dodgers have made the playoffs every season since he became the team’s manager in 2016. The Dodgers have advanced to the postseason in each season under Roberts and won the NL West division in all but one of those years. Under Roberts’ lead, the Dodgers have made three World Series appearances and made the NLCS five times.
All this means that the Dodgers have played a lot of meaningful baseball in October, giving Roberts the chance to play in a record amount of these winner-take-all games.
Friday’s winner-take-all game proved to be a sweet one, as the Dodgers earned the 2-0 win over their NL West rivals. The Dodgers entered Game 4 of the series trailing 1-2 but won the last two games to officially advance to the next round.
Roberts’ management played a pivotal role in these wins. With a limited starting rotation for the postseason, Roberts decided to roll with a bullpen game on Wednesday. The Dodgers’ bullpen — one of the strongest in MLB — delivered. Eight Dodgers relievers combined to pitch in a shutout victory over the Padres.
The following day, Yoshinobu Yamamoto started and helped the Dodgers hold the Padres scoreless again. The Padres’ lineup, which was one of the hottest in baseball since the MLB All-Star break, did not manage a single run in either of their final two games of the season.
This winner-take-all victory could turn even more special if the Dodgers are able to win the World Series at the end of the season. The Dodgers will face the New York Mets in the NLCS, with a chance at advancing to the World Series for the first time since 2020, the last time they won the trophy.
