Dodgers broadcaster reveals difficult truth with Dave Roberts' handling of bullpen

Watching the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen has been a real chore for the majority of the 2025 season. Relievers signed to lucrative contracts like Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates have let them down time and time again.

Some of the more reliable bullpen arms such as Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, and Michael Kopech have spent significant time on the Injured List.

A 4.19 ERA from the Dodgers 'pen is 19th in baseball. That's not going to cut it in the postseason, especially with the division-rival San Diego Padres boasting an MLB-best 3.10 bullpen ERA on the year.

This past weekend's series in Baltimore was particularly frustrating for Dodgers fans. The Orioles took two out of three games from the Dodgers thanks to a struggling bullpen. On Friday night, rookie catcher Samuel Basallo blasted a walk-off home run against Tanner Scott. On Saturday, manager Dave Roberts once again turned to Scott with the game on the line.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto had two outs in the ninth inning with a no-hitter intact. A solo home run from Jackson Holliday ended the no-hit bid, and Yamamoto was replaced by Blake Treinen.

Treinen struggled with his control, ultimately loading the bases in a 3-2 ballgame. Scott came in one night after being walked off ... and gave up a walk-off single to Emmanuel Rivera.

Why does Dave Roberts keep going to Tanner Scott?

It's frustrating to see Roberts turn to the same relievers in the same big moments and get the same results. But if you're a Dodgers fan wondering why, the legendary Orel Hershiser answered your question during Saturday's broadcast.

“You might be asking, why Tanner Scott tonight?” said Hershiser, the color comentator for SNLA broadcasts. "If the Dodgers are going to go deep into October, and go back-to-back as world champions, the people Dave Roberts is bringing in have to get it right.”

That's the hard truth. It really hasn't mattered what buttons Roberts pushes. The bullpen has let him down all year, and Scott is the guy being paid $72 million to close games.

If the Dodgers are going to defend their title, they'll need high-leverage relief pitchers to step up. It's better for Scott and some of the other struggling pitchers to work out their issues in high-leverage situations during the regular season than to throw them in the deep end come playoff time.

The bullpen may not fix these problems in time. If that's the case, the Dodgers won't hoist the Commissioner's Trophy this season, but right now Roberts needs to allow his guys to get it out of their system when the reps are a tad less important. It's the best shot Los Angeles has.