A month ago, Roki Sasaki's season was in question on whether or not he would even toe the rubber in 2025 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Still, his return to the mound, especially taking on the responsibilities of becoming the spearhead reliever heading into October, has Sasaki having himself a postseason of a lifetime.
In Game Four of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium, it was all hands on deck for both the Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies as they headed into the eighth inning all squared up at 1.
Los Angeles turned to the likes of Sasaki to keep the Dodgers in the game, and he showed out in one of the most clutch pitching performances of his young career.
Sasaki would go on to toss three straight perfect innings, striking out two Phils and showcasing his devastating splitter paired up with his ever-so-relentless fastball.
To sum up Sasaki's postseason game by game, it goes a little something like this: He got his first postseason save in Game 1, got the save in Game 2, and capped off his NLDS statsheet by pitching a perfect 8th-10th innings in Game 4.
"My fastball velocity is up, my splitter feels really good, so I've been able to tackle the zone," Sasaki responded to David Vassegh during the Spectrum Sportsnet broadcast when he was asked how he's been able to embrace the role of being a reliever and stay dominant.
With the Dodgers advancing to yet another NLCS appearance, one thing is for sure: Roki Sasaki is the Dodgers' solidified closer moving forward.