TORONTO — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knows the significance and consequences of Friday’s World Series game.
They win Friday night (8 p.m. ET on FOX) against the Toronto Blue Jays, and they extend their season, forcing a Game 7 at the Rogers Centre.
They lose, and their season is abruptly over.
And, fair or not, it will be considered a failure.
This is the way it works when you have one of the highest payrolls, the most talent in the game, and are heavy favorites to repeat as World Series champions.
Roberts also knows this responsibility runs much deeper for the Dodgers than any other franchise, with their passionate and frenzied fanbase in Japan, having three of the country’s biggest stars wearing Dodger uniforms, including the biggest of all-time in Shohei Ohtani.
Simply, losing is unacceptable.
Roberts sees that passion raging in the faces of Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will start Game 6.
And he sees in the faces of the devoted group of about full-time Japanese reporters who religiously follow the Dodgers, breathlessly reporting on anything and everything the Dodgers’ Japanese players do on a daily basis, whether it’s a game, bullpen session, batting practice, or even the latest on Ohtani’s dog, Decoy.
Roberts, the son of a Japanese mother and Black father, certainly relates, particularly after the Dodgers signed Ohtani two years ago and become Showtime in spikes.
“I think going my whole life, I was always aware of my Black side of the family with my dad, and the Japanese side of my family with my mom,’’ Roberts, who was born in Okinawa but primarily grew up in San Diego, tells USA TODAY Sports. “But growing up, because of the language and the geography, I haven’t been able to embrace my mom’s side as much as I would have liked.
“But now, having Japanese players, Japanese media, the sponsorships that come through, really allowed me to facilitate trips to Japan and really bring that part of my life to light. I couldn’t be more excited.’’
Roberts took his son, Cole, to Japan last winter after the season and spent a week visiting Okinawa, shooting a commercial, and receiving an award. He plans to return this off-season.
“It’s really been great,’’ Roberts said. “The only problem is my Japanese hasn’t gotten any better. That’s the problem. But I tell you, it’s really been enjoyable with all the Japanese media. I mean, we have more [Japanese] media, obviously, than any place in the country, by far.
“It’s certainly, you know, ramped up the job responsibilities. But you know what, the Japanese media is so respectful. It’s actually refreshing seeing how kind the Japanese people are. Even going back to Tokyo for the Japan Series, it really gives me hope in humanity, just a genuine kindness.
“They love their baseball, and there’s just pure excitement and joy, and not skepticism or cynicism. And for me to kind of pull from that, it’s really been additive for my mental state, it really has. You see their excitement, and it’s like then you get excited. You’re not always having to defend decisions or things that don’t work out.’’
Now, it’s only appropriate, of course, that the biggest pitching star of all, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will be the one starting Friday to save their season, trying to become only the fourth pitcher in history to throw three complete games in a single postseason.
If he pitches anything like he did in Game 2, when he threw a four-hit complete game, retiring the final 20 batters of the game for the first time in a World Series game since Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956, you can book a Game 7.
“Man, hopefully he’s a little tired,’’ Blue Jays manager John Schneider said, “throwing that many innings. He’s unique because he’s got what seems like six or seven pitches, and can kind of morph into different pitchers as the game kind of goes on.
“You got to be stubborn, you have to be ready to hit, and you have to be stubborn with what kind of swings you’re taking. That’s what it comes down to. He’s not a guy you can kind of wait out. He’s going to pound the zone, so sometimes you got to force some action on him.’’
The Dodgers aren’t really worried about how Yamamoto responds at all, but whether they can start generating any offense. The Dodgers are hitting .168 in their last 29 innings, scoring just four runs. Roberts shuffled the lineup for Game 4, dropping Mookie Betts to the No. 3 spot for the first time since 2021, and they struck out 15 times and scored just one run.
Roberts hinted Thursday that he might shake things up again, and if they can get to a Game 7, plan to employ Ohtani to be their secret weapon in relief, perhaps even use him as an opener, or even consider him playing the outfield for a few innings if necessary.
“We’ll talk about everything,’’ Roberts said, “so we’ll kind of talk through whatever is the best. If we get to that point, we’ll see. He’s not going to play the outfield [in Game 6], I do know that.
“But if we get to Game 7, we’ll have a good discussion about everything.’’
If the Dodgers are even mildly stressed, they didn’t show it during their workout on Thursday. It was an optional workout, but every player showed up. They were even treated to a challenge by Roberts to race infielder Hyeseong Kim. But even given a big lead Roberts tripped and fell rounding second, with the entire team bursting in laughter.
“I think that I’m in good spirits, our coaches are,’’ Roberts said. “What better way to win the World Series … in Game 7. But we got to win [Friday.]’’
Besides, nothing has come easy for the Dodgers, so why start now? They battled a litany of pitching injuries all year, and at one time had 15 pitchers on the injured list. Yamamoto is their only starter in the playoff rotation who has pitched more than 91 innings all season. Their bullpen has been a mess.
They have dealt with adversity all year, and the way they figure it, if they can come back from two elimination games to defeat the San Diego Padres in last year’s division round, and also win the 2024 World Series with only three healthy starting pitchers, this is nothing more than a speed bump.
“It’s fight or flight, it’s whatever adage or saying you want, to leave it all out there,’’ Roberts said. “It’s certainly not war. I’m not trying to compare that to war. But in our world, in our small world of baseball, it is war.
“So that’s the mindset.’’
Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale.