Dave Roberts reviewed a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on July 21, 2026, decided by a game-ending double play and strong bullpen work from Evan Phillips and Tanner Scott. Roberts called it a "big adrenaline, big big win."
Roberts said the game-ending double play was made possible by fundamentals and a baserunning mistake, with Mookie Betts making the throw to second base. "JT made an, you know, an uncharacteristic base running mistake and fortunately Muki uh threw a dart to second base," Roberts said. He also praised the starting pitcher, identified only as Justin, for competing well in tough mound conditions against a strong lineup, noting, "you saw two all-star pitchers uh going toe-to-toe and uh Justin didn't give anything away." Roberts added that the pitcher is an all-star who earned the honor and continues to improve without shying from challenges, stating, "he's an all-star. Um, he earned it. He's a winning baseball player. When he pitches, we win."
Roberts noted Evan Phillips bounced back from a home run he had allowed in New York with a clean inning, calling it "huge." He explained that he limited his starter to 89 pitches to protect him rather than risk losing the game as his command began to falter, saying, "89 pitches... if you can curb some stressful pitches, uh, you know, here or there, I think that it's smart." Roberts acknowledged the trade-off was that the starter would be unavailable for the next game, along with Phillips, adding, "he's down tomorrow and so for me it was worth it. And the same thing with Evan not available tonight."
Roberts also noted that Elias Diaz caught a great game, including throwing out a runner attempting to steal second base. Speaking more broadly about the team's approach, Roberts explained that over a long season the club must find ways to win without giving games away, comparing the intensity to a playoff atmosphere: "long season, you got to find a way to win baseball games and not try to give them away."
Roberts reflected on Max's career milestone of most home runs in franchise history, noting he has managed Max longer than any player on the roster and has won three championships with him. "I've watched every single one of his at-bats and I've had a lot of conversations with him and he's one of the leaders on this ball club," Roberts said, adding separately, "he's won three championships with me."
Looking ahead, Roberts confirmed that both the starting pitcher and Evan Phillips would be unavailable for the following game after their workloads in the win over the Phillies, a trade-off he said was worth making to secure the result.