Roki Sasaki’s first appearance at Dodger Stadium ended in tears. His first season in Major League Baseball could end in triumph.
The 23-year-old Japanese pitcher produced a performance for the ages on Thursday as the Los Angels Dodgers eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies from the playoffs to move a step closer to the World Series.
Less than a month ago, Sasaki’s place in the Dodgers’ postseason plans was far from clear.
Having spent most of the regular season on the sidelines rehabbing a shoulder problem, the rookie pitcher only came off the injured list on September 24.
But fast forward three weeks and Sasaki has emerged as the Dodgers’ late-innings savior, helping to plug the one major weakness in the team’s roster — a brittle bullpen that was among the worst in the league.
In the nail-biting extra innings 2-1 win over the Phillies, Sasaki was brought in to stifle Philadelphia’s potent offense as the tension mounted at Dodger Stadium.
The hard-throwing right-hander — who routinely clocks speeds of over 100mph — duly mowed down nine Phillies batters in succession over the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, giving up no hits and no runs to help set up the Dodgers’ 11th inning win.
“You’re talking about one of the great all-time appearances out of the bullpen that I can remember,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Sasaki’s performance.
“I can’t speak enough to his growth and his contribution to this club. We’re starting to see something really special in him. But what he’s done now on the biggest of stages, he’s just scratching the surface.”
Multiple clubs had courted Sasaki during last year’s offseason before the Dodgers lured him to California, where he joined a star-studded team that already includes compatriots Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
– ‘He’s soft’ –
Sasaki, whose father and grandparents were killed in the 2011 tsunami that virtually wiped his Japanese hometown of Rikuzentakata off the map, was widely regarded as the hottest pitching prospect in the sport.
Yet while billed as a potential generational talent, Sasaki’s first season in the major leagues did not start according to plan.
In March, he was pulled during the second inning of his first start at Dodger Stadium against Detroit, when he issued four walks and got only five outs in 61 pitches.
A disconsolate Sasaki was seen looking tearful in the dugout following that inauspicious debut, a reaction that drew criticism from veteran commentators.
“It’s tough watching somebody cry out on the bench..,” retired six-time All-Star pitcher CC Sabathia told USA Today Sports.
“I would have much rather see him do that upstairs. There’s no problem showing emotion but I want to see him do that in the locker room,” the former New York Yankees ace added.
Two-time MLB All-Star Jonathan Lucroy challenged Sasaki to emerge harder from his disastrous Dodger Stadium debut.
“He’s soft. I’ve seen it before,” Lucroy said. “Only thing that will help him is to fail. Massively. He will either weaken out or transform into a hardened warrior. That will be his choice.”
After Thursday, few were under any illusions about Sasaki’s ability to thrive in the pressure-laden crucible of playoff baseball.
Dodgers skipper Roberts had initially only planned to use him for two innings, but after seeing him run through the Phillies lineup, opted to use him in the 10th.
“He didn’t bat an eye. He was ready, and he didn’t run from it,” Roberts said of the decision to extend Sasaki. “It’s part of the Japanese culture, the toughness. He’s been a star his entire life.”
Sasaki’s transformation was aided by months of painstaking rehab which saw Dodgers backroom staff work on his bio-mechanics to repair his shoulder and regain velocity.
His decisive contribution on Thursday earned praise from Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow, who had laid the foundation for the win after tossing six scoreless innings.
“It was incredible,” Glasnow said of Sasaki.
“I think for what he went through in the beginning of the year, to come back and then come out and throw some of the nastiest innings I’ve seen in baseball.
“It just shows how strong he is, how much of a competitor he is. Didn’t seem like anything fazed him. It’s extremely impressive. We’ll need him for the rest of the season.”
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