Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing addressed the media on June 17, 2026, explaining how he motivated Alex Vesia during a ninth-inning jam and describing his communication approach with Shohei Ohtani.
Rushing said he identified a mechanical issue rather than a confidence problem when Vesia ran into trouble. "I just thought he was messing his fastball up and I knew it had to be an adjustment he could make with his delivery," Rushing said during the press conference. On the full-count, bases-loaded situation, he noted the priority was simple: "you go to what you think he can put in the zone — by no means do you want to walk a guy like that." Rushing motivated and gave confidence to Vesia throughout the sequence, stating, "any piece of confidence I can throw his way, I know it's just going to help him at the end of the day."
Regarding Ohtani, Rushing provided feedback to and called pitches for the pitcher throughout the game, including an increased use of curveballs that he explained as a game-plan decision. "I honestly just think it was, hey, this is the better option between the two right now and we're going to stick with it," he added. On the fifth-inning trouble, Rushing acknowledged that Ohtani has dealt with a blister on his finger for his last couple of starts, with blood visible during that inning, but stated, "by no means do we want to put blame on a blister." He also noted the opposition deserved credit: "I don't think it was any worry with stuff — that's a pretty good offense that knows how to put runs on the board," and mentioned it is the offense the Dodgers expect to face in October.
Rushing also described a visible moment of second-guessing after he used the team's challenge in the fourth inning. "I challenged because I thought it was a ball — in the moment you challenge immediately because your eyes just kind of gauge it to be a ball out of hand," he explained, then acknowledged, "I had a little bit of second thought in there, but yeah, it worked out, went in our favor, so no looking back." Rushing said catchers must tailor their communication to each individual, stating, "you have to understand the person that that pitcher is on the mound in the heat of the moment."
Rushing said the Dodgers swept a strong opponent and plans to build a stronger relationship with Ohtani going forward. "I think I can build a little better relationship moving forward based on what's happened," he stated, adding that the team intends to build off the win rather than dwell on any negatives.