Sasaki Shines Again Out of Dodgers Bullpen in San Francisco
The short version
- Sasaki pitched a clean inning with two strikeouts on 14 pitches against the Giants on Friday.
- His fastball averaged 100 mph, 2.2 mph above his season average, per Baseball Savant.
- It was his second relief outing of 2026 after returning from a blister on his middle finger.
- Dave Roberts said Sasaki is a better and more confident pitcher than last year.
- Tanner Scott, Edgardo Henriquez and Edwin Diaz give the Dodgers additional late-inning options.
The right-hander struck out two in a perfect inning against the Giants, his second relief appearance since returning from a finger blister.
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki turned in another strong relief appearance Friday night against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Working a clean inning, he recorded two strikeouts and gave up no hits and no walks.
Efficiency stood out. Sasaki needed only 14 pitches to get through the frame, and just one batted-ball event was recorded against him with no hard contact. He generated two swings-and-misses and three called strikes, drawing misses on both his slider and splitter.
The velocity numbers were notable as well. According to Baseball Savant, every pitch in Sasaki's mix came in faster than his season average. His fastball averaged 100 mph, 2.2 mph above his season mark, while his splitter gained 1.7 mph and his slider ticked up 0.4 mph.
The movement profile also trended upward. Sasaki's pitches all showed more horizontal break than his averages, and his slider added extra vertical induced movement.
This was Sasaki's second outing as a reliever in 2026, a role he took on after returning from the injured list, where he had been sidelined by a blister on his middle finger. His first relief appearance came Tuesday, September 22, when he allowed two hits but stranded both runners while striking out two.
Manager Dave Roberts praised the improvement after Friday's game. "I think the fastball is better. I think the split's better. And it's also nice that he's already done it," Roberts said. "Just in total, he's just a better pitcher than he was last year and a lot more confident. And certainly the stuff was really good the last couple of outings."
Sasaki served as the Dodgers' closer during last year's postseason, but the bullpen landscape has shifted. With Tanner Scott, Edgardo Henriquez and the emergence of Edwin Diaz, Roberts suggested the team no longer needs to lean on Sasaki as heavily. "I think it's just better to have as many guys that you have confidence in and leverage," Roberts said. "I feel comfortable with a lot of guys at the back end for sure."
Whether deployed in the seventh, eighth or ninth inning, or back in the rotation, Sasaki has become a reliable option for Roberts in high-leverage spots.
The Dodgers and Giants continue their series at Oracle Park on Sunday, September 27, with first pitch at 3:05 PM EDT. The game airs on MLB.TV, NBC Sports BA and SportsNet LA.
