Anna 
Roki Sasaki’s highly anticipated Major League Baseball debut was anything but ordinary. Despite some early struggles, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ young right-hander displayed resilience, escaping a bases-loaded jam with back-to-back strikeouts in the third inning.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was impressed with Sasaki’s ability to work through adversity during the team’s 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome.
A Test of Nerves
“There were some nerves, understandably so,” Roberts said in the postgame press conference. “The command, the emotions, the adrenaline—it was hard to rein it in. But in that third inning, he made some big pitches for us.”
The 23-year-old found himself in trouble after allowing an infield single to Jon Berti and walking three consecutive batters. The Tokyo Dome crowd, filled with Dodgers fans eager to see Sasaki shine, watched anxiously as he struggled with control.
However, the young pitcher rose to the challenge. With the bases loaded, he struck out cleanup hitter Michael Busch and Matt Shaw, who had made his own MLB debut just a day earlier.
A Glimpse of Sasaki’s Competitive Edge
“Just the way he responded from that situation when he didn’t have his best command tonight,” Roberts added. “It speaks to how competitive he is. That was a pivotal part of the game. He’s just such a great competitor.”
Roberts also indicated that Sasaki would be given more innings in future outings, noting, “We’ll stretch him out… He can make pitches when he needs to.”
Japanese Stars Shine in Tokyo Series
Sasaki was just one of five Japanese-born players who took the field during the two-game Tokyo Series.
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani put on a show, launching his first home run of the season in Game 2 after recording two hits, including a double, in the opener. Meanwhile, Yoshinobu Yamamoto secured the win in Game 1 with a strong five-inning performance, allowing just one run.
For the Cubs, left-hander Shota Imanaga delivered four scoreless innings in the first game, but teammate Seiya Suzuki struggled. The veteran designated hitter went hitless in eight at-bats and struck out four times.
“I couldn’t do anything,” Suzuki admitted. “I’ll try to play better after I get back to the United States.”
As the MLB season moves forward, all eyes will be on Sasaki to see how he builds on his eventful debut.
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