LOS ANGELES -- Roki Sasaki needed just one out. The tying run was 90 feet away. Phillies fans had Citizens Bank Park rocking.
But Sasaki didn’t hear any of them.
“I don’t understand English that well, so I didn’t even know what they were saying,” he said in Japanese, via an interpreter. “I just tried not to let it bother me. I’ve had similar experiences back in Japan, so I was able to stay focused and pitch without being affected.”
Sasaki needed just two pitches to get Trea Turner to chop a grounder to Tommy Edman, who spiked the throw to first as Freddie Freeman scooped the ball on his knees for the third and final out. The Dodgers, who were on the verge of another bullpen collapse, instead took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Phillies in the National League Division Series.
It was the third consecutive game that Sasaki closed out, and his second straight save. Sasaki, who didn’t make his bullpen debut until the final week of the regular season, is quickly establishing himself as the Dodgers’ most valuable reliever in this postseason run.
But is he their closer?
“He's definitely the primary option now,” manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday. “I think that there's a buildup. There's also a component that we have to win X amount more games, and he's not going to close every game. It's just not feasible. So you've got to use other guys.
"But … if it makes sense, he'll definitely be finishing games.”
Roberts initially thought to turn to Sasaki to begin the ninth in Game 2, but ultimately gave the ball to Blake Treinen, with Alex Vesia behind him, due to the lead and because of Sasaki's inexperience with pitching in two out of three nights. Even with the off-days in between, Roberts is staying mindful about overusing Sasaki -- who’s only pitched five times since returning from a right shoulder impingement -- knowing that he can’t be the only bullpen arm the Dodgers rely on if they want to make a deep run in October.
The Dodgers have gotten a total of three outs from traditional relievers in the NLDS. Treinen, one of the workhorses during their World Series runs in 2020 and 2024, allowed 10 earned runs over 9 1/3 innings in September, and his struggles continued in the postseason with Roberts noting that he “didn’t see that edge” after giving up two runs on three hits without recording an out on Monday.
Sasaki, meanwhile, has allowed just one hit and has yet to give up a run in 2 1/3 innings pitched over his three postseason appearances.
In an ideal world, if Roberts -- or any manager -- could stick with five pitchers through a postseason and win it all, they’d do it in a heartbeat. But, as Roberts said on Tuesday, that’s simply not possible. He has to pick his spots where he feels it’s best to use a certain player in a certain situation, and live with whatever the outcome may be.
And with Sasaki, Roberts is also looking for how he responds to the opportunities he’s given.
“It's a balance,” Roberts said. “This is something he's never done. And you're expecting to go a few more weeks. So all that stuff has to play in that a lot of people don't have any appreciation for.”
For his part, Sasaki feels good about his usage. He even feels ready to take another step and pitch back-to-back days, if it’s asked of him. Sasaki said he threw on his most recent off-day between outings and was able to pitch with intensity and felt good coming out of it.
Roberts wants to build a bit more consistency before asking Sasaki to go back to back. It would also involve conversations with pitching coach Mark Prior, bullpen coach Josh Bard and assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness about his catch play, how he’s feeling and how the ball comes out of his hand compared to days where he’s more rested.
“It's uncharted territory for everyone,” Roberts said. “I would love to have Roki throw every single day if he could, but that's just not feasible. Again, we have a lot of conversations, and then I make my decision.”