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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts continued to heap praise on rookie right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki after he had another strong postseason showing.
Sasaki came in for the ninth inning of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, and threw a perfect inning to earn his third save this postseason. The right-hander bounced back from a shaky performance in Game 1 to shut the door on the Brewers and bring the Dodgers within one game of the World Series.
More news: Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani ‘Impressed’ With Roki Sasaki
The 23-year-old didn’t always have the mental fortitude he has now, though, as videos surfaced of him getting emotional in the dugout during his rough stretch of starts at the beginning of the season. Sasaki made eight starts before landing on the injured list in May, posting a 1-1 record and a 4.72 ERA.
“His growth has been certainly not linear,” Roberts said. “At that point in time, where he was scuffling and emotional on the bench, and there’s a lot of video and photos of that, and for him to kind of self-reflect, get healthy and put himself back on the radar for our 2025 ballclub speaks to his fight.
“And I don’t think anyone could have foreseen him in this role in April or May.
“So, I give a lot of credit to Roki to kind of get to that point. And now he can look back at 2025 and look fondly at it.”
More news: Dodgers Beat Brewers in NLCS Game 3, Move 1 Win Away From World Series
Since coming back from a lengthy stint on the injured list, Sasaki has been lights out. He came back from the IL to test a new role in the bullpen, and immediately settled in. He made two relief appearances in the regular season, and threw two scoreless innings.
Sasaki carried that momentum into the postseason, posting a solid ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds before recording his first two MLB saves on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies. His best performance to date came in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Phillies, where he threw three perfect innings in a tie game.
The Dodgers look to close their series against the Brewers on Friday at home, as Shohei Ohtani takes the mound for LA. Game 4 begins Friday at 5:38 p.m. PT.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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