Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki cites mechanical adjustment as leading factor for solid outing versus Phillies

Modified Apr 07, 2025 13:36 GMT

Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki delivers a pitch against the Phillies [Image Source: IMAGN]

Young Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki, after two underwhelming starts, made a solid start against the Philadelphia Phillies in the team's 3-1 win against the latter on Saturday.

Sasaki posted a productive four-inning output. He gave up just one earned run on three hits, two walks with four strikeouts. This was a stark contrast to his previous outing, where he was under tremendous pressure and was rattled by opposing batters.

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"I felt like I was really able to work with my mechanical adjustments and everything really came together in this outing," said Sasaki through interpreter Will Ireton. (0:33-0:36)

Sasaki spoke to the media after the Dodgers picked up a slim win against the Phillies. When asked about whether the changes were just about the mechanical approach or also his mindset, Sasaki replied (1:58-2:11):

"It was more mechanical based rather than mindset. I felt like last time around, I did want to throw strikes, but I couldn't. [So] I really worked on the mechanical side of the game and felt that I was able to do that today."

The 23-year-old came under heavy criticism during his prior start against the Detroit Tigers. Sasaki was pulled after getting overwhelmed when he threw just 32 strikes in 61 pitches. After he was pulled, he was seen crying in the dugout.

Dodgers overcome Phillies on the road

The Dodgers avenged their first loss of the season at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies when they won the following fixture, 3-1. In what was a low-scoring affair, the reigning champions handed Phillies starter Aaron Nola his second loss of the season after the latter surrendered home runs to Kike Hernandez and Michael Conforto.

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Philly opened the scoring in the first inning when Alec Bohm's groundout drove in Kyle Schwarber. However, Hernandez hit a two-run shot to left field to give the visitors the lead. Then in the sixth inning, Michael Conforto put the game away with a solo home run of his own to move the scoreline to 3-1.

The two teams will square off once again for Game 3 of their four-game set on Sunday, April 6, at 1:35 p.m. ET. The Dodgers are set to start Tyler Glasnow on the mound opposite lefty Christian Sanchez.

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash