Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki has taken a significant step forward in his second month with the team, pitching a stellar five-inning outing against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. The 23-year-old Japanese pitcher threw 81 pitches, 50 for strikes, and allowed just one run, marking an improvement from his previous two starts.
Sasaki’s fourth start at Dodger Stadium was a laugher, with the Dodgers’ offense struggling to get anything going against starter Ben Brown. However, the right-hander showed impressive poise, pitching out of jams in the third and fifth innings.
The Cubs, meanwhile, pounded relievers Ben Casparius and Luis García for 10 runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, securing a historic 16-0 loss for the Dodgers. Infielder Miguel Rojas emulated Sasaki’s pitches, lobbing cupcakes that were crushed by the Cubs’ batters.
Manager Dave Roberts praised Sasaki’s performance, saying “Today the hope was for him to build on the last start and for me that was the silver lining of the night.” The right-hander established his four-seam fastball early and leaned on his devastating splitter and functional slider as he faced batters a third time.
Sasaki’s improved command was evident in his outing, and it marks a significant step forward in his development with the Dodgers. The team is hopeful that this performance will build momentum for Sasaki and the rest of the pitching staff.
In other news, the Dodgers are scheduled to host the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, with Bobby Miller likely to start in place of injured starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/article/roki-sasaki-takes-another-step-035242400.html