The Los Angeles Dodgers’ bold plan to move Roki Sasaki to the bullpen has worked far beyond expectations. Sasaki has been lights-out in relief and nearly unhittable. In Game 1 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies, he and Shohei Ohtani made MLB history.
“In the process, Ohtani and Sasaki became the first Japanese-born starter/reliever combo to earn both the win and save in the same postseason game,” MLB.com’s Brent Maguire wrote.
Sasaki was called up during the final week of the regular season, and in just two brief appearances, he earned a spot on the postseason roster. Since moving to the bullpen, his velocity and overall mechanics have looked far more fluid—something even manager Dave Roberts has noticed.
“Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was elated to see the difference and confidence in rookie Roki Sasaki tonight: ‘He looked like a different person,’” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale posted.
On Monday night, Sasaki entered the game to face just one batter—and recorded a save, once again making history.
“Since saves became official in 1969, Roki Sasaki of the Dodgers is the only MLB pitcher to have his first 2 career saves (reg or post) both come in the postseason,” Opta Stats posted.
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All of this is surreal, considering that just a few months ago, many doubted he would even make the postseason roster.
“The Dodgers no longer can count on rookie Roki Sasaki helping them down the stretch. His velocity is nowhere near the 102 mph he threw in Japan. He has thrown 59 fastballs through his two rehab starts, and has generated only one swing-and-miss,” Nightengale wrote.
Now, Sasaki is having a postseason run full of historic moments—and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down. With a two-game lead over the Phillies and Sasaki’s clutch performances, the Dodgers are in a strong position to win the series.
The rookie once considered a long shot is now a driving force behind the Dodgers’ pursuit of another World Series championship.
