Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Feels Team is Just as Prepared as Last Year's Team at This Point

Fans of the Dodgers don’t want to think about last year’s NLDS loss to the San Diego Padres. Even nearly one year later, the pain still lingers for many. And the questions almost daily by reporters to manager Dave Roberts and players from last year's team make it hard to close that chapter, at least until the new postseason begins in earnest for LA

Despite the results last October, Roberts believes this year’s team is just as prepared as they were then. Surely that might not comfort Dodger fans. But, there is no guarantee any team will succeed in the postseason.

"You know, it's a different team. I think that, not to take anything away from the team that won, I don't know what it was, 111 games, obviously very talented and successful team. This is a closer team. I think that with what happened last year and how quick the exit was, I still think that that looms with a lot of guys.

"As far as preparation, we try to ramp it up a little bit more as far as intensity, situational stuff. So I felt we were ready last year. And we won Game 1 and just ended up not winning another game after that. But I feel good. Baseball, it's so unpredictable, and that's why we can all have thoughts about this series. And no one knows until we play the game. So I feel good where we're at."

This year’s Dodgers have more heart and desire to win a world championship. Both David Peralta and Miguel Rojas want to go to the World Series. Jason Heyward wants to return to the World Series and prove the Chicago Cubs were wrong about him. Clayton Kershaw wants to win his first full-season world championship. Both Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman want to win a world championship with their best friends of J.D. Martinez and Heyward.  

And the path to the Fall Classic begins tonight at 6:20 PM PT with Kershaw on the mound at Dodger Stadium.