There are always narratives to follow and certain aspects to highlight, particularly amidst the struggles of an individual player. When it comes to Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki, first, the justified nerves of his MLB debut at home in Japan and all the emotions that came with it were the storyline. After that there was his debut at Dodger Stadium, hopefully his first of many, many more home starts. Most recently, it was the unfriendly environment of Citizens Bank Park against one of the more star-studded lineups in the sport.
Now, Sasaki will have the challenge of facing a red-hot offense in the Cubs, Friday’s shutout notwithstanding, and one that saw him not so long ago. Every time it happens, we hear about how bigger the exposure, particularly this close together, the advantage goes to the hitters.
The last start from Sasaki in Philadelphia was far from his best self, but given how badly the first two went, it was probably a relief for him more than anyone else to put it all behind him. Sasaki delivered a solid four-inning performance and helped the Dodgers to what would be their only win in Philly.
Removed after only 68 pitches as the Dodgers probably wanted to end his day on an encouraging note, allowing only one run. Sasaki wasn’t able to get a win, something he’ll look to correct this time around. Interestingly enough, for all of his early struggles, the Dodgers did come out on the winning end in each of Sasaki’s three starts.
On the hitting side of things, after needing only a Tommy Edman bomb to win on Friday, the Dodgers will have a golden opportunity for a big output against Ben Brown, whose early struggles make Sasaki’s pale in comparison. The Cubs’ starter has allowed 10 runs in 11⅔ innings, with a 2.229 WHIP and .481 slugging percentage against. After being held to a single extra-base hit on Friday, the Dodgers’ offense couldn’t ask for a better opportunity.
Saturday game info
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Cubs
- Stadium: Dodger Stadium
- Start time: 6:10 p.m.
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
