Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Roki Sasaki has soared to new heights in the postseason, playing a major role in each of the Dodgers’ three victories over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series.
In an all-important Game 4, in which the Dodgers could either clinch the NLDS win or be forced to go back to Philadelphia for a winner-take-all Game 5, Sasaki had his longest outing of the postseason, spending the eighth, ninth and 10th innings on the mound.
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In doing so, the 23-year-old made MLB postseason history, becoming the only pitcher to pitch perfect eighth, ninth and 10th innings in a series-clinching victory, per OptaSTATS.
“Oh my gosh, you’re talking about one of the great all-time appearances out of the pen that I can remember,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “Certainly given where he started this year, what he is as a starting pitcher, to go out there and not only go one inning, two innings and then three innings, and to do what he did gave us a huge boost.”
Sasaki has quickly become the Dodgers go-to option in late game situations. In four postseason appearances, the rookie pitcher has allowed just one hit and zero walks across 5.1 innings.
For a Dodger bullpen that has struggled all season to protect leads late, Sasaki’s emergence as a dominant reliever has been a welcome sign.
After failing to reach the lofty expectations set for the rookie after his dominant career in Japan, Sasaki spent much of the regular season on the injured list rehabbing an injured shoulder and correcting his pitching motion.
It wasn’t always easy for Sasaki to accept that his approach to pitching needed tweaking. But once he did, Sasaki has been nearly unhittable, with a fastball top speed of over 101 mph in the postseason.
“I can’t speak enough to his growth and his contribution to this club. We’re starting to see something really special in him, and that’s why he was courted so hard in the offseason,” Roberts said. “But what he’s done now on the biggest of stages, he’s just scratching the surface. But couldn’t be more proud of him.”
