Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki struggled again in his latest start, allowing three runs and five walks over just four-plus innings against the San Diego Padres.
The outing pushed his season ERA to 4.88 across 14 starts.
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Sasaki has surrendered 13 runs in his last 14 innings, a sharp contrast to his performance in May when he posted four consecutive quality starts.
During that stretch, he allowed only four earned runs while striking out 21 batters in over 24 innings.
Manager Expresses Surprise
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted he was taken aback by the sudden regression. “I am a little surprised, because there was such good momentum going on,” Roberts said.
“Hopefully we can get him back to throwing the way he did in May.”
Roberts noted that Sasaki’s fastball velocity has improved, averaging 98 mph, but his command has faltered.
“To kind of take a step back with the command is a little surprising,” Roberts added.
“But I don’t think that he’s lost that feel for the power, because the velocity is still there.”
The manager emphasized the need for Sasaki to perform under pressure.
“At the end of the day, even if you don’t feel great, you’ve still got to go out there and make pitches and not walk guys,” Roberts said.
“That’s just the bottom line, that’s the big leagues.”
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