How Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki looked in his first Cactus League start

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Roki Sasaki took the mound Wednesday, looking to build on the success he enjoyed late last season as he enters his second year with the Dodgers.

That didn’t go well, with Sasaki having trouble finding the strike zone and getting hit hard by the Arizona Diamondbacks when he did. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed three runs on three hits and two walks. He recorded three strikeouts, with his fastball reaching 98.6 miles per hour, but only 17 of his 36 pitches resulted in strikes.

“There have been some positive things, but also some things I need to work on,” Sasaki said through an interpreter after being relieved of the Dodgers’ 10-7 victory.

Sasaki gave up a hard-hit single to leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo, and Tim Tawa walked. With one out, Nolan Arenado hit a line drive double to left that scored Perdomo. Ildemaro Vargas followed with another double, scoring Tawa and Arenado for a 3-0 lead.

After a visit to the mound from pitching coach Mark Prior, Sasaki struck out Jordan Lawlar and Ryan Waldschmidt to end the inning. Sasaki struck out Druw Jones in the top of the second, then walked Aramis Garcia and was thrown out.

“In the bullpen I felt pretty good with the forkball, but once I got on the mound it didn’t go well,” Sasaki said. “And with the four-seamer, I felt pretty good in the bullpen, but once I got on the mound, I felt a little off.”

Sasaki emerged as a viable, high-leverage relief option out of Dave Roberts’ bullpen upon his return to the club’s big league roster in late September. He allowed just one run, six hits and five walks over 10.2 IP in the postseason. But the goal this spring is for him to establish himself as a pillar of the club’s pitching rotation.

“I thought he was knocking it down, I haven’t seen that all spring,” Roberts said after the game. “He was a little too optimistic on the fastball, but he was falling behind in the first inning. It was good to see that second inning, I thought he was mixing it up better and commanding the baseball a little better.”

Sasaki spent the offseason working to develop a third pitch, to add to his mix of fastball and splitter. The newest weapon in Sasaki’s arsenal was described by Roberts as a “slider-cutter” hybrid.

Two other notable names made their Cactus League debuts on Wednesday for the Dodgers, with River Ryan pitching a scoreless third inning while walking one and striking out one. Edwin Díaz pitched the fourth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.