Overview
- Sasaki started Thursday night, July 30, and delivered 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and two runs allowed in a 6-2 Dodger win that featured a three‑run homer by Dalton Rushing and a solo shot from Teoscar Hernández.
- His recent run has been stark: he has struck out 26 batters across his last four starts and allowed just three earned runs in 18 innings after the All‑Star break, lowering his season ERA to about 4.64.
- The improvement traces to a sharper splitter and better fastball movement tied to lower‑body mechanical work, plus a noticeably larger glove the Dodgers introduced to help hide grip and reduce pitch tipping.
- Sasaki’s outing ended because of a sixth‑inning decline that included a leadoff triple, an RBI double and a bases‑loaded five‑pitch walk; manager Dave Roberts said leg and calf cramping contributed to the late loss of command.
- With strong stuff but lingering durability and three‑times‑through‑the‑order concerns, analysts are weighing whether the Dodgers will keep him in a starting slot or convert him to a long‑relief, high‑leverage role in the postseason and will manage his workload accordingly.