Going into Tuesday’s game against the Guardians, the intent for Roki Sasaki was for three innings and 45 pitches. However, it was a Jekyll and Hyde outing for Sasaki. In the first inning, Sasaki threw 23 pitches (8 strikes), gave up a walk, single, walk, HR, and walk without recording an out.
Wyatt Crowell got out of the first inning without allowing another run, but he walked a tightrope by walking two others to go with 2 strikeouts.
Spring Training allows for a pitcher to leave and then come back. Sasaki came back out for the 2nd inning. He threw 2 arm side balls to the first batter, Brayan Rocchio. Then something hit, and Sasaki struck out Rocchio on the next three pitches, the last coming on an unhittable splitter. Sasaki retired the next five batters, with one additional K.
After throwing 23 pitches and not getting an out, Sasaki came back and retired the order in the next two innings on 22 pitches (13 strikes). Some will look at Sasaki’s outing and conclude he is not a starting pitcher for a contending team. Others believe he had a bad inning but figured it out and made the proper adjustments and showed elite “stuff”.
I am staying positive and believing that Sasaki will continue to develop and get better command of his fastball. His misses were almost exclusively on the arm side, regardless as to whether the batter was a R or L. As I remember, and as Rick Monday reminded us, to consistently miss in the same manner is mechanical, and can be fixed. 2nd outing in ST, I think the 24 year old makes the adjustments.
Another positive outing for River Ryan. 2.0 scoreless innings, no hits, 1 BB, and 3 K.
Will Klein followed up a meh outing with an exceptional 1.0 flawless inning with 2 K. Tanner Scott got pinched on a 2-2 pitch and walked the leadoff hitter in his inning. He gave up a one out single but did not allow a run. He did register 2 K. Ronan Kopp pitched a scoreless 9th allowing a hit and a K getting a save.
Offensively, LAD got a 2-run HR from Miggy Ro, a 2-run triple by Zach Ehrhard, and a run scoring single by Ryan Ward. Hopefully that is a confidence builder for Ward. Ehrhard continues to put up productive ABs.
Kyle Tucker is not in camp as he and his wife are expecting their first baby.
Kyle Tucker has been away from Dodgers camp as he and his wife anticipate the birth of their first child.
Also, Kiké Hernández (who has been rehabbing at CBR) will head to be around team Puerto Rico for the WBC in coming days. Has already dyed his hair for the occasion.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 3, 2026
Don’t get the whole dying your hair bit. Looks ridiculous. Team USA killed the Giants 15-1. Hauser got lit up in the first inning. Nice to see Miggy flex his muscles. Zyhir Hope has some guns. Very impressive.
What about Antoine Kelly? Could he be a guy?