Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Refutes Padres Pitcher’s Claims of Sign-Stealing

In the aftermath of his team’s 13–7 loss to the Dodgers on Monday, Padres pitcher Seth Lugo had some choice words for Los Angeles base runners, alleging that they were looking at his pitch grips while standing on second base and relaying them to hitters. 

On Tuesday, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts flat out denied Lugo’s assertions, remarking, “Sounds like an excuse,” per The Athletic‘s Fabian Ardaya.

The Padres led, 5–0, entering the top of the fourth inning with the Dodgers ambushed him for eight runs. Eight of the first nine batters in the inning reached base safely, culminating with a grand slam by Mookie Betts to give Los Angeles the lead and knock Lugo out of the game.

While technology-aided sign-stealing is illegal, relaying signs to teammates based on on-field observations is not. Roberts made sure to point that sort of tactic out as “gamesmanship,” though denied his team used that method on Monday.

“That’s the beginning of baseball, to be able to do that. And when you have players that can relay signs, and if you’re not giving the right signs or you’re showing your grips and things like that, that’s high baseball IQ players that we have,” Roberts said. “I think that’s a compliment. But a lot of times [the allegations are] unfounded. But I think the reputation itself clearly does enough to impact the pitcher.”