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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, left, greets Shohei Ohtani I. The dugout prior to a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, June 5, 2026, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Mark J. Terrill\/AP Photo\/Mark J. Terrill<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, June 5, 2026, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Mark J. Terrill\/AP Photo\/Mark J. Terrill<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, June 5, 2026, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Mark J. Terrill\/AP Photo\/Mark J. Terrill<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman hits a solo walk-off home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, June 5, 2026, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Mark J. Terrill\/AP Photo\/Mark J. Terrill<\/p>\n
Home plate umpire Jen Pawol tosses a ball to Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki as he comes out for the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, June 5, 2026, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Mark J. Terrill\/AP Photo\/Mark J. Terrill<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES (AP) \u2014 Roki Sasaki is finally becoming the pitcher in real life that the Los Angeles Dodgers first saw on video in Japan.<\/p>\n
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The 24-year-old right-hander didn’t allow a hit through 4 1\/3 innings and had a career-high 10 strikeouts over six innings in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.<\/p>\n
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Sasaki notched his first career scoreless start after 18 previous starts. He threw 98 pitches, 72 for strikes, generating his second-best strike percentage of 73.5% in a start. He reached 100.4 mph.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe went through some tough times and some doubts,\u201d manager Dave Roberts said, \u201cbut he\u2019s gotten to the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roberts sent Sasaki back out for the seventh inning to see how the youngster would respond in a scoreless game. Sasaki retired the side, striking out two.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was on the attack, he didn’t run,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cThat shows a lot of growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Sasaki was expected to be the next big thing coming out of Nippon Professional Baseball. But he failed to crack the Dodgers’ starting rotation as a rookie. His sad face and teary eyes in his U.S. debut was shown on Japanese television, triggering some unflattering reaction on social media and around baseball.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all felt sorry for him,\u201d Roberts recalled.<\/p>\n
Sasaki’s poor body language on the mound tipped opposing hitters to a lack of confidence, too.<\/p>\n
He then missed 4 1\/2 months with shoulder issues before returning as the team’s closer during its postseason run to a second straight World Series.<\/p>\n
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But he arrived to spring training and walked 15 batters, again raising concerns about his ability to perform as a starter and shaking his confidence.<\/p>\n
Over the last month, however, Sasaki has built consistency thanks to a harder splitter that touches 90 mph and complements his fastball and slider as well as improving his command.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is an adjustment with the ball that he had to make with his grip,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cYou can see his demeanor on the mound. There\u2019s just no more doubt and uncertainty.”<\/p>\n
Sasaki lowered his ERA to 4.03 and he has a 1.48 ERA over his last four starts.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI’m just doing small things all the time, and I just keep building on it,\u201d he said through a translator.<\/p>\n
The Dodgers beat the Angels on Freeman’s sixth career walkoff home run after both teams had three hits apiece.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoki has really turned the corner here and it\u2019s fun to watch,\u201d Freeman said, \u201cespecially after last year grinding, coming back as a bullpen guy. He just looks great out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freeman and catcher Will Smith are among a clubhouse full of teammates rooting for Sasaki to succeed on a team in which his fellow Japanese \u2014 two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto \u2014 set high standards.<\/p>\n
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\u201cYou can see the care factor, the drive he\u2019s got,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see the benefits right now.\u201d<\/p>\n