Overview
- Roki Sasaki was the winning pitcher in Thursday's 6-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium, throwing 5 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs, and recording seven strikeouts.
- Since the All-Star break Sasaki has strung together multiple much-improved starts and has allowed just three earned runs over his last three outings.
- The Dodgers addressed possible pitch tipping by moving Sasaki to a larger glove, and his splitter has generated high whiff rates while his fastball shows increased velocity and movement.
- Signs of limitation remain: Sasaki tends to lose movement and command around the sixth inning, and his season ERA still sits in the mid-4.0s.
- Some analysts say he could be used as a long-relief, high-leverage arm in the postseason, but that outcome is unconfirmed as the Dodgers' rotation choices and Blake Snell's rehab are still unsettled.