The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the NLDS after sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round. The Dodgers’ pitching proved to be a massive advantage in the matchup. Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto made postseason history with back-to-back dominant starts. And Los Angeles unveiled a new ninth-inning weapon.
Roki Sasaki took the mound in the final frame of Game 2 and closed out the Reds with an overwhelming performance in his postseason debut. The former starter was making just his third-career appearance as a reliever. But the Dodgers are clearly comfortable with using him in high-leverage situations.
Despite his success in the new role, Sasaki isn’t sure he could dominate as a reliever for a full season, according to Dodgers Nation. “The difficulty of pitching in relief is just the way I’m warming up, it takes a while to warm up,” Sasaki explained.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, the postseason shouldn’t be a problem for Sasaki. “In a playoff format, I’m able to do that because I have the stamina of a starting pitcher,” he said.
The Dodgers trust Roki Sasaki out of the bullpen
While the rotation has been lights out, Los Angeles entered the postseason with serious concerns about its bullpen. Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen frustrated fans with shaky performances down the stretch.
The inconsistency created an opportunity for Sasaki. After returning from a 119-game IL stint, the rookie transitioned to the bullpen. And he’s performed exceptionally well as a reliever.
Now Sasaki could become the Dodgers’ closer in the playoffs. And the ascension is nothing short of remarkable. The first-year righty logged eight starts for LA in the regular season. He then made two seventh-inning relief appearances after being sidelined for over four months.
Despite his lack of experience, Sasaki earned Dave Roberts’ trust. His two late-September outings were enough to secure the pitcher a spot on the playoff roster. And he made his postseason debut in the ninth inning of a series-clinching game.
While it wasn’t a save opportunity, Sasaki’s Game 2 appearance made it clear the team believes in the 23-year-old hurler. The same probably can’t be said of LA’s other top relievers.
Shohei Ohtani will start Game 1 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies. And the baseball world eagerly awaits the Dodgers’ deployment of their talented rookie flamethrower.
