For two starts, the Los Angeles Dodgers insisted on patience. On the third, Roki Sasaki made his appearance— and left no crumbs of doubt behind. In his first two major league starts, Roki Sasaki faced significant challenges adjusting to MLB hitters. In his first outing against the Chicago Cubs, he pitched 3.0 innings, allowing one run on one hit, five walks, and three strikeouts. His next start versus the Detroit Tigers was even tougher: 1.2 innings pitched, surrendering two runs on three hits, four walks, and two strikeouts. These outings resulted in a combined 4.2 innings pitched with nine walks and three earned runs, highlighting his initial struggles with command and control.​

But during his recent outing with the Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies, he established a foundation for his future growth. He held the Phillies to just one run over four-plus innings in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win at Citizens Bank Park. By doing so, he has simply left manager Dave Roberts, Max Muncy, and the rest of the team in awe.

Max Muncy remarked, “That was the guy we were waiting to see,”. After all, Muncy is talking about the same guy who almost had an emotional breakdown at his previous start. And now, he’s the guy who confidently attacked the plate and threw first-pitch strikes to 13 of 17 batters. As Dave Robertsaptly described him as, “a building block.” Instead of missing wildly outside the zone, it was the first time Sasaki’s shotgun fastball hit the exact locations.

All his teammates were truly spellbound by his performance. Catcher Austin Barnes noted, “It was good to see [him] just going out there and competing”. He emphasized how Sasaki has come a long way in such a short span of time. He hasn’t just worked hard to refine his mechanics, but he has indeed worked hard on his mindset.

Dave Roberts acknowledged his turnaround, keeping in mind the picture of a young arm still settling in: “He probably won’t let on how much he needed it, but to get a [successful] major league start, given how the first couple went … I think that was certainly a big positive.” Roberts has managed some of baseball’s biggest names, and instead of focusing on perfection, he truly made this moment about Sasaki’s progress.

Hearing from the man himself, Sasaki acknowledged how rough the past week has been for him. He revealed that he was going “through the week feeling a little anxious.” He added, “You really have to pitch in games to find out if what you feel in bullpens and during practice actually comes to fruition.” This recent game against the Phillies was truly a confidence booster for him. Most importantly, he was able to handle his command very well, even under the relentless pressure after his second start.

The Dodgers were really waiting for this version of Sasaki. It’s safe to say that it’s just the beginning of his remarkable transformation. And it wasn’t just Sasaki, Dodgers Delivered a Complete Team Effort.

Dodgers back up Roki Sasaki’s Breakout Start

Roki Sasaki finally found his rhythm during his third start. But his teammates didn’t hold back either to piece together a complete team win.

Enrique Hernandez, the utility star of the Dodgers, launched a two-run shot off Phillies starter Aaron Nola during the second inning in order to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. That was his third home run of the season and notably, all three of his hits throughout the first 10 games.

On the other hand, Michael Conforto followed suit in the sixth with a solo home run. He made sure to make an impact in his debut Dodgers season by hitting .308 with a 1.111 OPS and five RBIs. These stats are a reflection of why the Dodgers signed him in the first place.

The defense also stepped up, protecting Sasaki from allowing any extra run after his departure in the fifth. Teoscar Hernández removed any hope of a Philly rally after catching the ball in right field. And just like that, his remarkable throw doubled off Bryson Stott at first before JT Realmuto could score from third.

At the end of the day, when each piece rightfully fits into place, the team didn’t just win; they ruled!