Overview

• Dave Roberts praised Roki Sasaki’s relief work and said he will not be locked into the ninth inning, citing matchup-based flexibility for late frames.
• Sasaki secured his first professional save by throwing a scoreless ninth in NLDS Game 1 at Philadelphia to preserve a 5-3 win.
• In four relief outings since his return, he has not allowed a run, yielding two hits with seven strikeouts, according to recent summaries.
• After missing months with a right shoulder impingement, Sasaki was reintroduced in late September in one-inning bursts and has already finished multiple postseason games, including the Wild Card clincher.
• Roberts said he felt comfortable turning to Sasaki again in NLDS Game 2 if needed, reflecting the team’s growing trust in his high-leverage readiness.