After the Los Angeles Dodgers nearly blew a 4-0 lead during Game 2 of the NLDS, 23-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki was called upon to get the final out and close out the game, earning the second save of his MLB career (both of which historically have occurred in the postseason).
There was initial hesitation regarding Sasaki entering the game earlier in the ninth since he had closed out Game 1, but the starter-turned-reliever spoke after Game 2 regarding how he felt (albeit, with a day off in between the two days).
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"I actually do feel pretty good about being able to throw back-to-back games," Sasaki said. "On my off day, I threw with pretty good intensity and felt pretty good."
Sasaki has been one of the best success stories of the postseason, and one of the few bright spots from the bullpen.
After being a highly-regarded starting pitcher from Japan drawing interest from 20 MLB teams upon his international free agency posting, he wound up with the Dodgers and immediately had mile-high expectations -- not only as a member of the defending champs but as a pitcher in a lethal rotation.
The phenom tossed a 4.72 ERA though his first eight games, showing signs of a slower velocity on his fastball than what his four years in Japan indicated and a lack of command on the mound. A shoulder impingement sidelined him for over four months, but upon his return to a rehab assignment, his velocity still wasn't there.
In between starts at the Triple-A level, Sasaki did not only increase his velocity by over 4 mph, but due to the elevated play of the starting rotation, the Dodgers started to experiment with Sasaki out of the bullpen. The final two appearances of his rehab assignment were in relief, and his first two appearances back in MLB were also out of the bullpen.
Sasaki now has more relief appearances in the postseason (3) than regular season (2), and his only career saves have been in the NLDS -- on the road against a 96-win team. He is certainly a special player and displaying his best pitching of the year at a time when his team needs it most.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images