Dave Roberts Scapegoats Beloved Dodgers Veteran After Latest Loss Exposes Broken Promise

“We’ve got to play better. We do,” Roberts stated after losing to the D-backs a few days ago. And everyone hoped that they would win against the Pirates. Guess what? They lost by 9–7 on September 2, 2025. The Pirates are at the bottom of their division, while the Dodgers are at the top. Losing to a team at the bottom of the standings hurts even more. In the aftermath, the manager called out their best player!

Clayton Kershaw, the veteran lefty, started his most recent game in Pittsburgh, and it was rough. He let up four runs and walked four batters in the first inning. Later, he fought his way through five innings, striking out three batters, and then he shut them down completely from the second inning on. Although he had recovered, Roberts was clearly unhappy.

After the game, Roberts didn’t hold back. He said, “I just think that tonight, Clayton wasn’t sharp early. Righted the ship and found a way to get through five innings, which was huge. And from there, I just felt that the bullpen, we weren’t sharp tonight.”

Roberts further elaborated on the game, saying, “And, as we kept fighting to get back, we kept giving it back. So, just one of those nights, but we got to be better. There were some key at-bats, whether by way of walk or getting count leverage that we couldn’t put these guys away, which led to some runs and unfortunately, we couldn’t overcome it.”

There’s no doubt Kershaw has dominated the mound for seventeen seasons, and this season is no different. He has a 9–2 record, with a 3.28 ERA, 61 strikeouts, and a 1.18 WHIP. Getting called out despite this seems questionable.

And it wasn’t only Kershaw who had a bad day at the mound. The bullpen fell apart in the sixth inning as Edgardo Henríquez walked the first two batters, gave up an RBI single, and then Blake Treinen gave up a two-run double that opened the floodgates. The Pirates took the lead after three quick runs, and the relievers couldn’t get it back. This bullpen collapse directly contradicted the team’s recent promises of focus and commitment.

Given Miguel Rojas’s recent comments about the club’s commitment, this public callout holds additional weight. “And sometimes you get tired, especially mentally. And you got a lot of things going on in your life, and your year, and it’s not easy to be locked in every single time. But I feel like we made a commitment to be locked in for 25 more games, plus the 20 or whatever we need to play in the playoffs.” Rojas spoke of renewed focus and commitment, but losing to weaker teams undermines the idea of being “locked in.”

Lately, the Dodgers have looked off their game. They’ve been too relaxed, missing pitches, and not having that sharp edge. At times, Roberts even dubbed it an “unrecognizable” ballclub, stating that a team this talented shouldn’t find it hard to lock in and play with more urgency.

While Roberts is busy calling out, the bullpen is falling apart under duress. But there is one thing that stays the same through all the mayhem and pointing fingers. And it’s their two-way sensational star, Shohei Ohtani.

Bullpen May Falter, but Ohtani’s Swing Never Quits

The Dodgers’ bullpen has had some bad games, with late-inning meltdowns and lost leads, but you can always count on Ohtani’s swing. Shohei Ohtani‘s bat stays solid, loud, powerful, and electric even when relief pitchers mess up.

In that same game against Pittsburgh, he hit his 100th home run as a Dodger. It was a powerful single shot off rookie Bubba Chandler in the third inning. What made it even more special? It went off the bat at 120 mph, making it the hardest-hit ball in his career and the hardest hit by any Dodger since Statcast started recording stats in 2015.

The moment lit up the dugout and reminded supporters and teammates how reliable he is. Ohtani is performing excellently this season, with the second-highest OPS of .986 in the NL. And when he gets the chance to pitch, he still shows off his capabilities as a two-way threat. In his last game against the Reds, he pitched five innings and struck out nine batters, and this year he’s been getting better at controlling the ball.