The Los Angeles Dodgers’ search for control unraveled under the lights at Rogers Centre, and Dave Roberts didn’t shy away from addressing it. Following the Dodgers’ 11-4 loss in Game 1 of the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays, the manager explained what went wrong for Blake Snell and how it set the tone for the night.
DodgersBeat took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and posted the following quote from Roberts’ postgame interview, along with a link to the full conversation.
“Blake just didn’t have good fastball command tonight. The Blue Jays fought — we just didn’t make pitches when we needed to.”
For five innings, Snell looked like the Dodgers’ stabilizer. He allowed only a two-run homer to Daulton Varsho and had the game tied 2–2 entering the sixth. But once command slipped, the Blue Jays pounced. A walk, a single, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases before the bullpen took over — and chaos followed.
Emmet Sheehan walked in a run, Andres Gimenez singled, and Addison Barger launched the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history. Toronto’s nine-run sixth inning, capped by Alejandro Kirk’s two-run homer, left the Dodgers’ dugout silent and stunned.
Roberts’ explanation was as direct as it was honest. The Dodgers’ pitchers simply missed their spots. Twelve of Snell’s 37 fastballs were fouled off, extending counts until fatigue set in. Once the bullpen entered, the damage was inevitable, as six earned runs over four innings sealed the blowout.
The Dodgers’ strength all postseason had been their starting rotation, carrying a 1.40 ERA before Game 1. But their bullpen, sitting near 4.90, proved to be the weak link analysts feared. Now the pressure shifts to Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 against Kevin Gausman, as L.A. fights to avoid an 0–2 hole that only 10 of 121 teams have ever escaped.
In October, command is everything — and the Dodgers lost it when it mattered most.
