Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki delivered a gritty performance against the San Francisco Giants, but ultimately allowed three runs over 5⅓ innings in a start that saw his home run streak extend to six consecutive games.
Making his seventh start of the season and seeking his second win, Sasaki began the game with a strong first inning, helped by a sliding catch from left fielder Teoscar Hernández. He retired the side in order.
In the second inning, Sasaki gave up a solo home run to Rafael Devers on a breaking ball, marking the sixth consecutive game in which he has been taken deep. After allowing a single to the next batter, Sasaki struck out three straight hitters, mixing a mid-150s fastball with splitters and sliders to escape further damage.
The third inning brought more trouble as Sasaki walked the leadoff hitter, then allowed a hit and hit a batter to load the bases with one out. Facing Devers again, he induced a shallow flyout to right field on a low breaking ball, then got Elliott Ramos to ground out to third base to escape the jam.
The Dodgers tied the game in the fourth inning with four consecutive hits off Freddie Freeman, then took the lead on a fielder’s choice groundout. Sasaki responded by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the fourth, and proceeded to set down seven consecutive batters into the fifth.
However, in the sixth inning, Sasaki allowed back-to-back singles to Casey Schmitt and Devers, putting runners on second and third with no outs. After falling behind in the count, Ramos ripped a splitter that caught too much of the plate for a two-run double down the third-base line, giving the Giants the lead. Sasaki was then pulled from the game. Reliever Blake Treinen finished the inning scoreless.
Sasaki’s final line: 5⅓ innings, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts, 2 walks (one intentional), 3 earned runs on 91 pitches. His fastball topped out at 99.5 mph (about 160.1 km/h).