Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts cheered on reliever Roki Sasaki after his stellar performance in Game 4 of the NLDS.
Sasaki entered the top of the eighth inning at a 1-1 game and continued to terrorize the Phillies’ offense. He dispatched Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm in order in the bottom of the eighth, then retired each of the next six batters he faced. Sasaki’s performance combined with a strong 11th inning from Alex Vesia allowed the Dodgers to find offense for a walk to advance to the NLCS.
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“Oh my god. You’re talking about one of the all-time great performances from the pen that I can remember,” Roberts said. “Especially considering where he started this year, what he is as a starting pitcher, to go out and not just play one inning, two innings and then three innings, and do what he did gave us a huge boost.
“I can’t speak enough about his growth and his contribution to this club. We’re starting to see something very special in him, and that’s why he was courted so hard this offseason.”
“But what he has now done on the biggest stages is just scratching the surface. But he couldn’t be more proud of him.”
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The right-hander has made a huge improvement from the start of the season, when he posted a 4.72 ERA through his first eight MLB starts. Sasaki was the Dodgers’ go-to high-leverage reliever this postseason, appearing in four games and allowing just one baserunner through 5.1 innings. He has not allowed a run since returning from injury on September 24.
The Dodgers are headed to the NLCS, but still don’t know their opponent. The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs will play Game 5 of their series on Saturday, with the winner taking on the Dodgers in the next round. The NLCS starts Monday, although the location and time depend on the outcome of Saturday’s game between the NL Central powerhouses.
Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn images
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