TL;DR - Scouting Report
Roki Sasaki’s breakout game vs. the Phillies gave the Dodgers a 3-1 win. Improved command, a nasty splitter, and new confidence made this Sasaki’s turning point.
Start the Rally: Tweet This Now!Roki Sasaki Handled the Pressure and a Dangerous Phillies Lineup
After a bumpy debut filled with walks, nerves, and questions, Roki Sasaki finally looked like the pitcher the Dodgers believe he will be.
On Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia, Sasaki stepped into Citizens Bank Park with doubt swirling around him—and exited with belief firmly behind him.
Facing a Phillies lineup known for grinding at-bats and punishing mistakes, Sasaki didn’t blink. He opened the game by allowing back-to-back singles and still limited the damage to only one run. That moment — and how he responded — might be the turning point in his early Dodgers tenure.
“Let’s go,” catcher Austin Barnes recalled Sasaki saying pregame. That quiet fire told the team everything they needed to know.
From Chaos to Command: Sasaki’s Key Adjustment
Sasaki retired 12 of the next 13 batters following that early turbulence, leaning heavily on his fastball and splitter. He finished with four strikeouts over four-plus innings—the most he’s lasted in a game so far.
The key difference? Command. After walking nine batters over his first two starts, Sasaki landed 60 percent of his pitches for strikes, and Phillies hitters swung and missed at 5 of 10 splitters. The pitch had returned to form, largely thanks to a mechanical tweak in his lower body.
“I felt like I was able to work on my mechanical adjustments, and everything really came together in this outing,” Sasaki said postgame.
Dodgers’ Bullpen, Big Swings Seal the Win
The game wasn’t without its late-inning drama. After Sasaki allowed a walk and single in the fifth, Anthony Banda entered and induced a game-changing double play, thanks to a heads-up throw by Teoscar Hernández.
The bullpen followed with five scoreless innings from Banda, Ben Casparius, Alex Vesia, and a clinical three-pitch save from Tanner Scott.
Offensively, Kiké Hernández and Michael Conforto each homered, while Max Muncy went 3-for-4 and finally found success against Aaron Nola.
As manager Dave Roberts said postgame, “He needed it.”
And now, maybe so did we.
