World Series Game 5: Dave Roberts postgame interview

Q. I know you said the bullpen has been taxed. You said to us earlier that you didn't think Morrow would be available. What made him available?
DAVE ROBERTS: He called down and said that he felt good. He was throwing today, he felt good. And he called the middle of the game, and he said, hey, if we take the lead, I want the ball, my body feels good. So in the seventh inning, you can't turn him down. He felt good, he wanted to be in the game, and it's a credit to him to be used like he has been and want the baseball.
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Q. Do you think your bullpen is feeling being taxed so much to just get to this point, and you're seeing some ramifications now for having to push them before today?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think it's the case when you're at this point in October, I think that the Astros can say the same thing. So I think everyone is taxed right now.
Q. What do you think happened to Clayton after he got off to a good start?
DAVE ROBERTS: He was rolling. He was throwing the ball well, good rhythm. And I don't know, I think that the Gurriel pitch, took a good swing on a pitch and kind of was just left out over. Other guys, Correa, hit a slider that was down, it was in off the plate. And those guys competed. They kept grinding and got the big hit when they needed. And have a four-run lead, answer back; get three, and bottom part of the order, got two outs and obviously the walk to Springer and Bregman sort of did them in right there.
Q. Obviously the Astros are a good hitting team. How shocking was it for you to see that kind of barrage against your staff, which is obviously a very good pitching staff?
DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, we knew going into this series, this is the best offensive ballclub that we were going to see all year. And they can slug you. They spoil pitches. They're athletic. And credit to them. But our guys did the same thing. They just got the hit when they needed. But I thought we did a lot of great things, as well, on our offensive side.

Q. What happened there with Taylor tagging up, did he go, did he not go? Was there miscommunication there?
DAVE ROBERTS: No, just right there in that situation you've got one out, JT is up. Reddick, strong, accurate thrower was coming in on the baseball, and you still need to score that guy from second base, too. In that situation you still want to give yourself a chance to get a base hit to score the second run. To have a double play right there and not give yourself a chance there, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. And he made a good throw.

Q. Can you just describe the emotions that you went through, and this team went through going through a game like that?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think this whole series has been an emotional roller coaster. It's the two best teams playing for a championship. And these are two teams that play 27 outs, like we've talked about. So you're not going to expect those guys to lay down. And obviously you saw what our guys did tonight, and competed until the last out. A credit to our guys. Guys want to take the baseball. Guys coming up with big hits in big spots. And that's what the World Series is all about.

Q. You obviously needed Kenley for a while, but back in the 8th, when you put Cingrani in, was there any thought of putting Kenley in at that point?
DAVE ROBERTS: Right then at that point we were down. And so if we had got it within one, I would have brought him in to try to have him go one-plus. When you're down two runs, I just didn't see that that made a whole lot of sense. And honestly I like the matchup -- I love the matchup versus Gonzalez and then McCann. And Brian took a good swing.
Q. In the dugout during these games is there a single batter where you don't feel like there's a fairly decent chance he could hit a home run? And how different is that than lineups in the past where the bottoms weren't hitting as many home runs?
DAVE ROBERTS: Again, it's the best lineup we've seen, 1 though 9, especially in this ballpark. When you've got McCann hitting in the 9, it's a very talented group, certainly.

Q. There was a lot of consternation on both sides about the strike zone. How much conversation was there in the dugout?
DAVE ROBERTS: I think for us, and I think on the other side we know Bill Miller's strike zone. So I don't think that at all affected the outcome of the game.
Q. Can you just talk about the challenge of going home having to win two in a row.
DAVE ROBERTS: I mean, it's something that I think for us focusing -- taking the day tomorrow, getting home, and it's going to be boisterous and energetic at Dodger Stadium, and I think our focus is just going to be to win one game. And to get ourselves to think about two in a row, I think we'd be getting ahead of ourselves. We're at an elimination stage right now, and we'll do everything we can to win one game.