Roki Sasaki Dazzles in Postseason Debut, Securing Dodgers' NLDS Berth

Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old rookie from Japan, made a dazzling postseason pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers, closing out their NL Wild Card Series sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a perfect ninth inning. He struck out Spencer Steer and former Dodger Gavin Lux with 100-mph pitches before retiring Austin Hays on a lineout, leading to an 8-4 victory and advancing the Dodgers to the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Dave Roberts expressed trust in Sasaki for leverage situations, noting the moment wouldn't be too big for him. This strong performance followed a rookie season filled with ups and downs; Sasaki signed a minor league deal in January with a $6.5 million bonus and spent four seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. His MLB debut in Tokyo saw him walk five in three innings, and his Dodger Stadium debut on March 29 also involved control struggles. He came off the 60-day injured list on September 24, making his first career relief appearance against Arizona after a shoulder injury, having previously made eight MLB starts and some relief appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City.