The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a Game 1 win in the 2025 NLCS over the Milwaukee Brewers, but it was manager Dave Roberts’ decision that became the biggest talking point. Despite Blake Snell’s dominant eight-inning performance, Roberts made the surprising call to bring in rookie closer Roki Sasaki for the ninth inning.
Snell was in complete control, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out 10 on 103 pitches. His command was sharp, his rhythm unshaken. Yet Roberts opted to pull the southpaw after eight innings, following his long-standing approach of limiting workloads and trusting his bullpen. Sasaki, however, quickly ran into trouble, loading the bases before veteran reliever Blake Treinen secured the tense 2-1 series opening win.
The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share Roberts’ reasoning for the controversial move.
“Dave Roberts called it a ‘50-50’ decision to pull Blake Snell after eight innings. Said the way Roki Sasaki had been pitching recently and the fact that Snell likely would go on regular rest in Game 5 were among the factors he was considering.”
The Dodgers manager explained that the move was both strategic and health-conscious, emphasizing Snell’s history with shoulder issues and Sasaki’s recent success in high-pressure moments. Still, the decision immediately fueled debate among Dodgers fans and analysts about analytics versus feel in postseason baseball.
Many fans drew comparisons to Kevin Cash’s 2020 World Series decision to pull Snell under similar circumstances. While Roberts’ logic followed modern pitching strategy, it clashed with the traditional instinct of riding a hot hand.
Ultimately, the Dodgers held on, but the controversy underscored a larger tension within baseball’s postseason mindset — between data-driven precision and trusting a player’s momentum when everything is on the line.
