The Los Angeles Dodgers have kept Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki on a schedule of starting every Friday and Saturday, respectively, for the past six weeks, but the rookie’s latest outing against the Atlanta Braves included a new wrinkle.
First pitch at Truist Park was delayed by more than three hours because of a thunderstorm that arrived roughly 30 minutes after the game was originally scheduled to begin. Despite the long wait, the Dodgers and Braves were jointly committed to avoiding a doubleheader on Sunday.
Once the rain finally passed, Sasaki threw his first pitch of the game at 10:33 p.m. local time. He went on to complete five innings and earn the first win of his career.
That naturally came with a sense of relief for Sasaki, who also was treated to the customary celebration inside the Dodgers clubhouse, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Afterward he was treated to the traditional “beer shower” celebration in the clubhouse – “a lot of my teammates said congratulations and a lot was thrown on me,” he said.
“Just really relieved and happy,” he said.
The Dodgers staked Sasaki a 1-0 lead in the second inning but squandered an opportunity for more runs. That immediately proved costly as the Braves tied the game in bottom half.
L.A. responded with two more runs in the third inning and a two-out rally in the fourth that extended their lead to 7-1. Sasaki struggled a bit in the bottom of the fourth inning and allowed the Braves to trim their deficit.
However, manager Dave Roberts stuck with the right-hander for the fifth inning, in part to be in position for his first career win, and Sasaki rewarded that trust by retiring the side in order.
Roki Sasaki stats
Sasaki’s start against the Braves was his fourth in a row of completing at least five innings. He allowed three runs and threw a career-high 98 pitches.
The 23-year-old also matched a career high with four strikeouts, which he’s reached in four outings, including three in a row.
On the season, Sasaki is now 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in seven starts.
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