Dodgers News: Sasaki Drops Hilarious Reponses to Getting Heckled by Phillies Fans
The crowd at Citizens Bank Park thought they could give the Phillies an advantage, but they were wrong
LOS ANGELES, CA—When the Los Angeles Dodgers took care of business in the National League Wild Card Series, looking ahead at their Division Series opponent, I do have to admit, I was a bit intimidated about playing a best-of-five series with three potential games at Citizens Bank Park.
Since reentering title contention during the 2022 season, the Philadelphia Phillies have long been known for having some of the most passionate and loud fan bases among all of sports.
The Phillies faithful tormented their National League East rival, the Atlanta Braves, in back-to-back seasons, with the Braves unable to secure a single win at Citizens Bank Park during the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.
They were just as rowdy in last year’s matchup with the New York Mets, despite dropping Game One after a Zack Wheeler gem.
So, leading up to this series, the Phillies and their fans were ready to take on the next foe, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
However, unlike the Braves, the Dodgers conquered the Bank, taking not one, but both games in Philly to go up 2-0 in the NLDS and are one win away from sweeping the Phillies out of the 2025 postseason.
Still, the fans tried their best to get under the opposing players’ skins, especially in the bullpen, as the visitors ’ bullpen is right next to the main concourse at Citizens Bank Park.
Among those being heckled was 23-year-old Japanese rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki, who also dropped an epic response to the noise.
“I don’t understand English that well, so I don’t know what they were saying, and I didn’t mind it,” he said in Japanese. “I’ve had similar experiences in Japan, too, so I think I was able to pitch without worrying about that sort of thing.”
Well, Phillies fans, despite all the hefty talk about “Nine Innings in Hell,” it appears that it may have lost its aura and had little impact on the Dodgers and their players, as it did on some other teams in the past.
Since rejoining the team in late September, Sasaki has looked like an entirely different pitcher from the one who struggled immensely at the beginning of the year. A likely combination of revamping his mechanics, getting healthy, and gaining confidence has allowed Sasaki to flash the talent that had the entire fan base elated over his signing with the franchise in January.
Now, with the Dodgers needing a dependable arm in the bullpen, particularly in the ninth inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that Sasaki will primarily take that role moving forward.
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