With a Game 3 victory over the Braves, Dave Roberts has reached 71 career postseason wins, tying him for second all-time among MLB managers.
When the final out settled into the glove at Truist Park on Tuesday night. it marked more than just a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. For Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the win was a milestone in a career defined by October pressure. He has now recorded 71 postseason victories, tying him with Tony La Russa for the second-most in Major League Baseball history.
Only Joe Torre, with 84, stands ahead of him. To reach this height, Roberts has outpaced icons of the game like Bobby Cox, Dusty Baker, and Bruce Bochy. The pace of his climb is stark: while La Russa’s 71 wins spanned six decades and three different franchises. Roberts has compiled his entire playoff resume in Los Angeles. starting in 2016.
This latest win put the Dodgers one victory away from a third consecutive trip to the National League Championship Series. The formula remains familiar. Yoshinobu Yamamoto anchored the night, setting a career postseason high with 10 strikeouts over seven innings. He surrendered only four hits and one walk. with the Braves’ lone run coming via a Drake Baldwin groundout in the fifth inning.
The offense found its rhythm in the fourth, turning on Chris Sale with surgical efficiency. Kiké Hernandez delivered a two-run homer following an Andy Pages single, and Freddie Freeman immediately followed with a solo shot. These were significant swings—it marked the 17th career postseason home run for Hernandez and the 18th for Freeman. Edwin Diaz entered in the ninth to seal the win.
With a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, the Dodgers now look to Wednesday’s Game 4. Tyler Glasnow is set to take the mound against Tyler Mahle, holding the chance to end the series and secure the team’s path to the NLCS.
As the wins accumulate, the gap between Roberts and the top of the record book continues to shrink. A victory Wednesday would move him solely into second place. While catching Torre remains a long-term goal. the consistent momentum Roberts has established in Los Angeles suggests that even the top spot is becoming a realistic horizon.
Dave Roberts Los Angeles Dodgers MLB postseason Tony La Russa NLDS MLB managers