Overview

• Sasaki handled the ninth inning in a 5-3 NLDS Game 1 win over the Phillies, allowing one hit with one strikeout to seal the series opener.
• Roberts turned to Sasaki for the ninth in each of the Dodgers’ past two postseason games, yet he declined to assign a formal closer label.
• With late-inning options struggling late in the regular season, the Dodgers are deploying starters such as Tyler Glasnow and Sasaki out of the bullpen.
• This starter-in-relief approach could thin the rotation if the series stretches, with reporting pointing to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Shohei Ohtani as the primary starters.
• Roberts said Sasaki has been prepped to pitch on a two-in-three-days schedule, making him a potential option again for Game 2 after Sunday’s off day.