Dave Roberts baited John Schneider into the foolish decision that kept Dodgers alive

Entering the seventh inning of Game 6 of the 2025 World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a subtle but high-stakes chess move that fooled Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider – and ultimately helped the Dodgers survive.

The Dodgers were trailing the series, facing elimination for the first time this postseason. Game 6 was a must-win. Starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto went six solid innings, and Roberts turned to left-hander Justin Wrobleski to begin the seventh inning in relief.

After striking out Alejandro Kirk and getting Addison Barger to ground out, Wrobleski gave up a double to Ernie Clement. That brought the tying run at the plate for the Blue Jays with two outs. At that moment, Schneider had to decide whether to pinch-hit for Andrés Giménez or let him bat.

Schneider decided to keep Giménez in to bat against Wrobleski, who promptly struck him out to end the inning with a runner stranded on second. The decision played right into the Dodgers' hand, as they held on to defeat the Blue Jays, 3-1, and force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday.

How Dave Roberts baited John Schneider by turning to lefty Justin Wrobleski in the seventh inning

By going from Yamamoto to Wrobleski in the seventh, Roberts changed the handedness of the pitcher – thereby forcing Toronto to evaluate whether to counter-match (pinch-hit a right-handed bat) or keep Giménez in to face a lefty. Roberts knew Schneider had to make a choice with the tying run on deck and pressure mounting.

Schneider might have expected Roberts to bring in a more “traditional” reliever (perhaps a right-hander) later – so when Wrobleski came in proactively, it may have put Schneider on his heels. In other words, Roberts forced Schneider to react under pressure rather than operate proactively.

By inserting Wrobleski early in the inning, Roberts sent a message: “We believe in this guy to get outs right now.” That may have influenced Schneider’s mindset: keep your base runner threats alive by staying with a position player rather than burning a pinch-hit.

The choice suggests that Schneider judged Giménez as capable of handling the left-hander, or at least valued keeping his pinch-hitter for a later tougher matchup. That decision gave Roberts what he needed: a favorable pitcher-batter matchup and a hitter at the plate who might be less comfortable against the lefty.

Roberts anticipated Schneider’s hesitation to burn a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning of a must-win game. By bringing in his left-handed weapon right away, Roberts forced Schneider into that decision point. The timing – seventh inning, rather than a later lefty specialist cameo – increased the pressure and the risk for Schneider. When Schneider opted to keep his hitter in, Roberts had set up his platoon/situational advantage and executed it.

Thanks to Wrobleski striking out Giménez to end the inning, the Dodgers neutralized a potential Blue Jays rally at a critical juncture. That helped keep their season alive for Game 7, where they now have a chance to win it all.