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Dodgers Quotes: Read What the Players and Coaches Had to Say After Advancing to Second Straight World Series

We caught up with many of the team's players and coaches as they reflected back on the season, celebrated their monumental achievement, and looked ahead to the World Series against the Red Sox on Tuesday night.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed back to the World Series for the second consecutive season after dispatching of the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games.

After the game, we caught up with many of the team's players and coaches as they reflected back on the season, celebrated their monumental achievement, and looked ahead to the World Series against the Red Sox on Tuesday night.

Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts:

Roberts (on advancing to the World Series for the second straight season):

"I can't say enough about our players, our coaches, the front office and most importantly the fans. They supported us through thick and thin and we fed off their support.

Roberts (on winning the NL pennant): 

"Every single person has their finger prints on this season and for us, our goal is to bring a championship back to Los Angeles. Our fans deserve it. We deserve it, and that's our only goal.

Roberts (on winning Game 7 of the NLCS):

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"Chris Taylor, Yasiel [Puig], Walker [Buehler], everyone has got their fingerprints on this game and this season and my hat's off to everyone over there [Brewers]."

Roberts (on Yasiel Puig's home run that put the Dodgers ahead by four runs):

"I was praying like heck it had enough backspin to get out of here. Everyone was pulling for Yasiel."

Roberts (on pulling Buehler, pitching Kenley Jansen in the 7th and Clayton Kershaw in the 9th):

"[Ryan] Madson gave us some good innings. I just felt right there, Kenley [Jansen] could bridge that gap and I wanted this moment to be for Clayton [Kershaw]."

Roberts via ASAP Sports (on getting back to the World Series):

"I'm just so proud of our guys for enduring this roller coaster of a season. A lot of people had their hand in this. And for us to just continue to lean on each other, depend on one another and stay the course, it says a lot about the focus, the toughness of this team. Coaches, training staff, baseball ops, scouts, and so many people got us to this point. So I'm just really proud of this entire organization and look forward to giving ourselves a chance to bring the championship back to Los Angeles."

Roberts via ASAP Sports (on Chris Taylor's catch):

"I think that's probably it. You get the MVP in [Christian] Yelich and he's competing and Julio [Urias] leaves a pitch up with two strikes and Yelich puts a really good swing on it. At that point in time I thought the game was tied. But CT [Chris Taylor] gets a great break on the ball, and really a game-saving play. Once the game is tied anything can happen. The momentum shifts. But that was certainly a signature play at the time."

Roberts via ASAP Sports (on returning to Boston for the World Series):

"I'm looking forward to going back to Fenway. Obviously for me personally I have a lot of fond memories of the Red Sox and Fenway Park. To be wearing another uniform going in there playing for a World Series Championship is going to be special for me. But, yeah, I think that the fans -- it's great for baseball. Two storied franchises going head-to-head. It's going to be a great series."

Dodgers Pitching Coach Rich Honeycutt: 

Honeycutt (on how the bullpen performed):

"You can't say enough about these guys all year they battled. Thank goodness we were deep enough to get through some injuries, but now we have some guys healthy and every night they stepped up."

Honeycutt (on returning to the World Series):

"Doc [Dave Roberts] set the tone a couple years ago. We saw it when we went to Washington [in 2016 NLDS]. Team comes first. Everybody is about the team doing whatever it takes. From Rich Hill last night. Woody [Alex Wood]. Kenta [Maeda]. All of our starters doing whatever it takes to help us win and you saw it again with Kersh [Clayton Kershaw] tonight."

Dodgers Utility Player Chris Taylor: 

Taylor (on his leaping catch in the fifth inning):

"I knew it was in the gap and I was just trying to run hard and get to the spot. I had to change my route and go back towards the fence a little bit. I'm just glad I caught it."

Taylor (on returning to the World Series):

"It feels just as sweet as it did last year. Unbelievable. It's been a long road for us and it feels good to get another opportunity. Hopefully, we'll come out on top this time."

Dodgers outfielder and NLCS MVP Cody Bellinger:

Bellinger (on his second inning home run):

"I was looking for a pitch up, two strikes, just trying to put a good swing on it, and luckily it went out of there." 

Bellinger (on playing the Red Sox in the World Series):

"That's going to be a pretty special series."

Bellinger (on advancing to the World Series in each of his first two season):

"It's a blessing to be a part of this team. I had a lot of guys tell me it's not this easy, so I'm enjoying this 100 percent." 

Bellinger (on Chris Taylor's fifth inning catch):

"I think the most important part of the game today was CT's catch in left field. That definitely changed the whole game for us." 

Dodgers Outfielder Yasiel Puig: 

Puig (on his three-run home run in Game 7):

"I never expected that ball to be a home run I was so excited because there was two people on base. Thank God that ball kept going and it was a home run. 

Puig (on playing the Boston Red Sox in the World Series):

"It's an amazing team. The best team in the AL [American League] and the best team in baseball with 108 wins. But now, they're going to face us and the best team is going to win. I still feel that way [about Dodgers winning], but you never know. I've never played in Boston before. It's going to be cold."

Dodgers Game 7 Starting Pitcher Walker Buehler:

Buehler (on if he had nerves before his start):

"There has to be. I think that's the nature of the beast. Third time [third postseason start] is the charm and this being my third time, I think that helped for sure." 

Buehler (on how he felt he pitched):

"I feel good with it. This one worked out a little better than earlier in the series." 

Buehler (on if he was okay coming out of the game in the fifth inning):

"We're 25-men deep and that's how you win in the World Series."

Buehler (on what it's like going to the World Series):

"That's the expectation here every year, obviously it's a little more special for me never being there, but we hope to do this a few more times."

Buehler (on Chris Taylor's fifth inning catch):

"The Taylor catch was unbelievable. I don't know many people who can play shortstop to start the season and then go to the outfield and make that catch."

Dodgers Closer Kenley Jansen:

Jansen (on the season as a whole and returning to the World Series):

"We all stick together. We never quit. We had one goal in mind and we fell short last year. We just kept playing. JT [Justin Turner] went down. Kersh [Clayton Kershaw] went done. Me included went down. A lot of guys went down, but everybody had their fingerprints on this and we never quit and here we are celebrating." 

Jansen (on entering the game in the seventh inning and not pitching the ninth): 

"Before the game Doc had a conversation with me and told me they might go the same route as they did in 2016 [NLDS] against Washington [Nationals]. It doesn't matter if I'm closing or not, just put me in the game when you need me. He brought me in in the seventh I got my job done, Kersh  [Kershaw] picked me up and here we are celebrating."

Jansen (on looking ahead to the matchup with the Boston Red Sox): 

"Play 27 outs. That's the best team in the game right now. We respect that, but we know that we're good. We have to go out there and compete and try and get that championship."

Dodgers Catcher Austin Barnes:

Barnes (on how his season went as a whole and getting back to World Series):

"It's an awesome feeling. This whole year was full of adversity. We were a third place team in September and we never lost faith in us and we want to thank the fans for never losing faith in us either. It was an up and down ride, but we got back and hopefully we're going to win it this year."

Barnes (on Game 7 and how he was able to take over as starting catcher for most of the NLCS):

"Personally I didn't feel great at the plate, but to contribute with my defense and help this team try and win and get to the World Series is all you can ask for." 

Barnes (on how Walker Buehler looked):

"His stuff is unbelievable. He's been pitching big games for us all year. From 163 to Game 7 tonight. All of our starters pitched big games for us."

Dodgers Third Baseman Justin Turner:

Turner (on returning to the World Series):

"This is an unbelievable feeling to be standing here right now. At one point 10 games under .500, at one point in third place in the division in September. We've played with our backs against the wall all season, here we were again tonight, Game 7 backs against the wall again and we found a way to get it done."

Turner (on what he and the team learned from being in a Game 7 in the World Series last season):

"Win every pitch and win every inning. We wanted to get to him [Chacin] early. We knew they were going to run to their bullpen right away. We got behind when [Christian] Yelich hit that solo homer in the first, but we grinded, we saw their bullpen guys in all seven games. We got some big swings by Belli [Bellinger] and by Puig to give us a cushion."

Dodgers Shortstop Manny Machado: 

Machado (on going to the World Series for the first time): 

"This is awesome. There's no better feeling than coming here and winning. We had this goal since I got here and we finally made it here."

Machado (on what his emotions are after winning Game 7):

"It feels awesome. There's no better feeling than winning the pennant. We've worked hard for his. We've got four more games left." 

Machado (on the NLCS series with the Brewers and how the Milwaukee fans treated him):

"We never took anything for granted. We knew we were playing a very good ball club on the other side and it was going to be a grind. We did everything possible: we played the little game, we hit the longball, like we had all year, and we're just happy we came out on top like always."

Machado (on his full count bunt in the second inning):

"You don't really want to know what I really want to say right now. We're trying to do anything to win. He quick pitched me so I'm going to drop one down. I know it was a little ballsy but anything to win. It came out perfect because Belli [Bellinger] came up next and hit that big, big homer to put us on top. I knew Belly was due. He was due for something. I just needed to get on base for him and pass the baton." 

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw: 

Kershaw (on returning to the World Series):

"I appreciate these moments. It's pretty fun. You might never get to do it again. It's hard to take something like this for granted. 

Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Wood:

Wood (on winning the NLCS in seven games):

"It was a total team effort. It's been a really complete series when you put all the games together it was a lot of fun against a really good Milwaukee Brewers team. Thankfully we won Game 7 and will now get ready for the Red Sox here in a couple days." 

Wood (on warming up three times, Kenley pitching the 7th and Kershaw closing):

"You never know what's going to happen in a Game 7. Kenley makes quick work of the inning he threw. Clayton's got the ninth. Then I got up three different times, you never know what's going to happen so you just have to be ready for every minute of the game." 

Dodgers relief pitcher Ryan Madson: 

Madson (on going back to the World Series):

"I'm very lucky to be here and fortunate that they brought me over. I really appreciate it."

Madson (on pitching 1.2 scoreless innings of relief):

"I look around and see Kershaw is out there and Kenley, and they picked my name! It's such an honor. I don't take it lightly. I put everything into every pitch. I take it one pitch at a time, I know it's a cliché, but that's what I do."

Madson (on watching Kershaw pitch the ninth inning):

"I don't think I've ever had a better feeling. When you see Clayton Kershaw in the bullpen with 100 pitches under his belt and ready to go in to the game, I don't think there's a better feeling."

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