Dave Roberts’ respect for Pat Murphy reflects a matchup built on style, not just talent

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he has a deep respect for Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, crediting Murphy’s team for the kind of baseball Milwaukee plays. The comment came in the context of the National League Championship Series, where Roberts and Murphy have already crossed paths before games at American Family Field.

Roberts’ view is less about a single matchup detail and more about how Milwaukee attacks games. In his remarks, Roberts pointed to the Brewers’ approach as something he genuinely appreciates, describing it as a style of baseball that stands out even in October, when teams tighten their play and the margins shrink.

Still, Roberts did not frame it as stiff, ceremonial respect. He also suggested there is a playful competitive streak at work between the two managers, saying that sometimes he likes to “mess” with Murphy a little bit. The tone matters in October, when teams spend long stretches studying tendencies, communicating constantly, and treating every at-bat like a referendum on preparation.

The friendship-with-intensity dynamic is a recurring feature of high-level postseason matchups. Managers often share the same pipeline of baseball thinking, coaching philosophies, and game-day problem-solving, even when they disagree on strategy. In that setting, Roberts’ respect indicates that he is scouting Murphy’s Brewers not only for what they do, but for why they do it.

Murphy, for his part, has guided the Brewers with an emphasis on execution and situational baseball, which is the kind of identity that can translate well across different postseason games. When Dodgers opponents consistently carry a recognizable style into October, it can pressure a series opponent differently than a purely matchup-driven team, because the challenger has to plan for both performance and pattern.

What to watch next in the Dodgers-Brewers series is whether that contrast in baseball identities shows up in the way each team handles late-inning decisions and high-leverage at-bats. Roberts’ comments suggest Los Angeles is paying attention to Milwaukee’s process, not just individual results, and that may influence how the Dodgers prepare their response.

If Roberts’ “mess with him” remark is any indication, the series could also develop into more visible dugout tension, not necessarily as hostility, but as a steady undercurrent of competitiveness. In a postseason series, even small psychological shifts can become part of the storyline once the teams are locked into repetition and feel the weight of each plate appearance.