Roki Sasaki’s Secret Weapon: How the Dodgers’ Unexpected Closer is Shutting Down the Postseason with Unstoppable Precision
He’s doing things never before seen in baseball’s postseason. In Game 4 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies, for example, he became the first relief pitcher in major league history to string together perfect eighth, ninth and 10th innings in a series-clinching victory. So far this postseason, he’s pitched 5.1 scoreless innings of relief and has more saves (two) than combined hits/walks allowed (one).

Everything he’s throwing — primarily his four-seam fastball around 100 mph and a splitter around 88 mph — is in the strike zone and missing bats. Out of 36 pitches, 26 have been strikes. Four of his five strikeouts have been on swinging strikes, and he’s generated 11 swing-and-misses in his four appearances.



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