Despite a historic 16-0 shutout loss to the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers found a silver lining in rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki’s improved performance.
Sasaki, making just his third Major League appearance, delivered his longest outing yet, throwing five full innings. He allowed one run on four hits, struck out three, and walked two batters. Sasaki also reached career highs in both pitches (81) and strikes thrown (50).
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised the young right-hander after the game.
“For me, that was the silver lining of the night,” Roberts said. “Probably the most important piece of the game was for him to get better, go deeper in the game, throw strikes, get strikeouts, soft contact… He looked really sharp tonight.”
Sasaki Follows Yamamoto’s Blueprint
Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, Roberts had pointed to Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s start the previous night as a template for Sasaki.
“Get ahead. Mix in both of your breaking balls,” Roberts explained. “Command the fastball and fill it up. I think Yoshi had pretty good rhythm last night, and if Roki can follow that, then we should be in good shape.”
Although the scoreboard didn’t reflect it, Sasaki did just that. After a shaky start, he began to find his rhythm by the second inning.
Early Struggles, Then a Turnaround
Sasaki’s first inning appeared solid on the surface—he retired the side in order—but he fell behind in the count to all three batters. He was down 3-0 to Cubs leadoff hitter Ian Happ, 2-0 to Kyle Tucker, and 1-0 to Seiya Suzuki.
The second inning started rough with Sasaki giving up a leadoff home run to Michael Busch. It was the first extra-base hit he had allowed in his Major League career. Still, Sasaki quickly regrouped and retired the next three batters in order.
In the third, he navigated a bases-loaded, one-out jam without allowing a run. He struck out one and induced soft contact to get out of the inning unscathed.
“Didn’t quite feel comfortable in my first inning,” Sasaki admitted through interpreter Will Ireton. “But I felt like I hit a stride after that first inning. Overall, a lot better command. That was something I was able to continue from my last outing.”
Improving Command and Trusting the Splitter
A key focus for Sasaki has been improving his offspeed command, particularly his splitter. On Saturday, he threw the splitter 25% of the time. Of his seven total swing-and-miss pitches, four came from his splitter, which had a 50% whiff rate.
“I thought Roki was good. It’s a tough lineup,” said catcher Austin Barnes, who caught Sasaki’s last two starts. “Busch is a tough at-bat. I thought he was good. He mixed his stuff. I thought it was a quality start. Kept us in the game.”
Mixing in breaking balls, especially when his fastball is effective, is something both Sasaki and the Dodgers are focusing on.
“It does put me in a little tough spot when considering that I don’t throw a variety of pitches,” Sasaki said. “So today, I had to lean on the slider at the end of the game to get something over the plate aside from my fastball. But when my fastball command is good, I feel like guys will swing a little bit more on my split.”
A Tough Night for the Dodgers, But Hope for the Future
Despite Sasaki’s individual progress, the Dodgers suffered one of their worst losses in recent memory. The 16-0 defeat marked the largest home shutout loss in franchise history. The bullpen collapsed late in the game, and the offense failed to provide any support.
Still, the team remains optimistic about Sasaki’s development. His ability to adjust mid-game, pitch deeper into the outing, and rely on more than just his fastball bodes well for future starts.
What’s Next for Sasaki?
Sasaki’s growth is crucial as the Dodgers work through injuries in their pitching staff. With more outings like Saturday’s, he could earn a stable spot in the rotation.
He’ll likely get another start later this week, where coaches will continue to monitor his command and pitch mix. If he keeps progressing, the Dodgers may have found a long-term asset in the 22-year-old righty.
