As Mets’ Sean Manaea dominates, Dodgers manager tells America something different

UPDATE: Sean Manaea got the win after throwing five innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits, four walks and seven strikeouts.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has a viewpoint of Monday’s NL Championship Series Game 2 against the New York Mets that belies the box score.

With Mets ace Sean Manaea shutting out the Dodgers through three innings — with one walk, two hits and six strikeouts — Roberts told viewers during his in-game interview that he sees a lot of good things. At the time of the interview, the Mets were leading 6-0.

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“I actually think we’re taking some good at-bats,” Roberts said. “Freddie (Freeman) just missed a homer in his first at-bat. (Manaea) seems to making some good pitches against Shohei (Ohtani). I think Kike (Hernandez) is seeing it well. We just have to get that pitch count up and hope that we pop one and can get ourselves back into this game.”

Through three innings, Manaea had 45 pitches, 28 for strikes.

In the Freeman at-bat Roberts referenced, the first baseman hit a ball 102.2 mph and it had a 0.30 expected batting average, according to Baseball Savant’s Statcast. That was the Dodgers’ only contact at above 100 mph through three innings, with Max Muncy’s 105.1 mph lineout in the second inning the only undeserved “out”; it had an xBA of .650.

Manaea entered Monday’s game with 12 innings pitched, three earned runs and 10 strikeouts in the playoffs.

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