The Los Angeles Dodgers had a humiliating loss against the Padres in Game 2 of their three-game series. Their NL West rival showed pure dominance at the plate while they scored 11 runs. Dylan Cease had an excellent game, restricting his opponent from scoring.
On the other hand, the Boys in Blue had Matt Sauer on the mound to pitch 4.2 innings. Sauer was rocked for nine runs as he walked three and recorded six strikeouts. Sauer threw 111 pitches and was finally called out in the sixth inning. Roberts received huge backlash from Dodgers fans for allowing Sauer to struggle on the mound.
Following their victory in the third game, Roberts gave a blunt answer when he was asked about Matt Sauer. The manager stated that Sauer served the purpose and he was not going to waste his time explaining decisions to fans.
“I’m not gonna waste my energy trying to explain it to fans. I wasn’t worried about Sauer’s health; he feels good today. Matt’s a big boy. He understood his role in this ballclub. He served a purpose in helping us win potential games going forward. To the fans that felt I was too hard on Matt to leave him in the game, I apologize. But we’re trying to win as many games as we can, and Matt fully understands it,” Roberts said.
Dave Roberts responded to fans who are upset with him leaving Matt Sauer in the game last night. pic.twitter.com/VMoLxnEUI2
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) June 11, 2025
Roberts was trying to secure the series win by deliberately losing Game 2. However, fans were not happy with the way he treated Matt Sauer.
Dodgers Triumph Over The Padres And Retain The Division Lead
Shohei Ohtani and his team did well to win the series against the Padres. The offense showed up with five runs while restricting the Padres to only two. The club retained its top position in the NL West with a 41-28 record.
Ohtani, Will Smith, and Teoscar Hernandez helped the team win. Hernandez was the player of the game, while Lou Trivino secured the win. The Dodgers dropped their position in the week 11 power rankings.
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