Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — The Dodgers capped off a celebratory home-opening weekend with a sweep of the Detroit Tigers, but after Saturday’s 4–1 win, manager Dave Roberts turned the conversation toward growth—specifically the early struggles of rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki.
Sasaki, the 22-year-old sensation from Japan, made his second big league start and ran into trouble again, lasting just one inning before Roberts made the call to the bullpen. Despite the short outing, Roberts wasn’t discouraged.
“This is a process,” Roberts reiterated throughout his postgame comments. “We’re going to keep working on it.”
Known in Japan for elite command and dominance, Sasaki has yet to find his rhythm in the majors. Roberts pointed to a mix of mechanical issues and the natural pressure of a new environment. “He wants to impress, he wants to pitch well, and he’s competing,” Roberts said. “But right now, it’s just not syncing up.”
When Roberts came out to remove Sasaki after a 38-pitch first inning, the rookie hesitated before handing over the ball and walked straight into the clubhouse. Roberts addressed the moment, saying it wasn’t an act of disrespect but rather a moment of miscommunication and emotion. He followed Sasaki into the tunnel for a brief chat. “He was disappointed,” Roberts said. “All he’s known is success, so this is new to him. But you’ve got to be a pro and get back to work.”
Roberts also emphasized that adversity can be a necessary teacher, especially for someone like Sasaki who’s been highly touted and protected through his career in Japan. “Even in high school, everything was made as easy as possible for him,” Roberts said. “This is a new challenge. But I expect him to keep fighting and improving.”
While Sasaki’s outing was brief, the bullpen answered the call in a huge way. Luis García provided two crucial innings, and the rest of the relief corps locked it down. “The character of the bullpen—fantastic job by those guys,” Roberts said. “We really threaded the needle tonight.”
Roberts also credited pitching coach Josh Bard and the bullpen’s readiness, especially considering the early call to action. “It says a lot when you go to the ‘pen in the second inning to win a ballgame. It worked because of how prepared everyone was—and we’ve got an off day to reset.”
On the offensive side, the Dodgers did just enough, coming through in key spots. Roberts mentioned the decision to move Teoscar Hernández up in the lineup, especially with Shohei Ohtani getting intentionally walked again. “That was a situation a lot like what Mookie saw last year,” he said. “And it just worked out.”
So while all the attention coming into the season was on Roki Sasaki’s MLB debut, Roberts made it clear the Dodgers are playing the long game—and are committed to helping their young star develop at the right pace.
“We’ve got a good ballclub, and we’re going to need him,” Roberts said. “He’ll get there.”
For now, the Dodgers are 3–0 at home, their bullpen is lights out, and even in the face of adversity, this team is showing it has the leadership and depth to go far.
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