The initial plan called for Roki Sasaki to pitch an inning or two as an opener.
asserted
Sasaki → call → opener
Sasaki had other ideas.
asserted
Sasaki → have → ideas
“I said I wanted to pitch out of the bullpen,” Sasaki said in Japanese.
asserted
Sasaki → say → Japanese
Because Sasaki will be deployed as a reliever in the playoffs, he figured he should spend the remainder of the regular season becoming reacquainted with the role.
asserted
he → deploy → role
So instead of throwing the first and second innings of the Dodgers’ 7-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night, Sasaki pitched the fourth.
asserted
Sasaki → throw → fourth
Returning from a month-long stay on the injured list, Sasaki pitched in relief for the first time this season.
asserted
Sasaki → return → time
What was most memorable about his night wasn’t that he struck out two batters or threw six of his 20 pitches faster than 99 mph.
asserted
he → strike → mph
Sasaki was reluctant to make the switch last year, doing so only as a last-ditch effort to salvage an otherwise disastrous rookie season.
asserted
Sasaki → make → season
The decision made him an October hero, as the team’s lack of options made him the closer almost by default.
asserted
him → make → default
He returned to the rotation this year and was 5-5 with a 4.56 earned-run average through his first 23 games, all of them starts.
asserted
all → return → them
His form improved over the course of the season, and he was 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA in seven starts after the All-Star break.
asserted
he → improve → break
But in the last of those starts, which was on Aug. 26 in Atlanta, he developed a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.
asserted
he → develop → hand
Starting games was a source of pride for Sasaki.
asserted
Starting → start → Sasaki
When he agreed to try pitching in relief last year, he made the Dodgers promise him they would use him as a starter this season.
asserted
they → agree → starter
Sasaki didn’t require as much convincing when team officials started talking to him about a role change on the Dodgers’ recent trip to Cincinnati.
asserted
officials → require → Cincinnati
The Dodgers will use a four-man rotation in the playoffs, and they have four Cy Young Award-caliber pitchers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal and Tyler Glasnow.
asserted
they → use → Yamamoto
Sasaki could do the math.
uncertain
Sasaki → do → math
If he was going to pitch in the postseason, it would be as a reliever.
asserted
it → go → reliever
“I think it’s important to make the roster,” Sasaki said.
asserted
Sasaki → think → roster
The Dodgers kept their word about him starting games, and Sasaki wanted to repay them.
asserted
Sasaki → keep → them
“In the first half of the season, they used me as a starter even when I wasn’t pitching well,” he said.
asserted
he → use → starter
Sasaki didn’t pitch more than five innings in any of his first five starts.
asserted
Sasaki → pitch → starts
The Dodgers would have been justified in removing him from the rotation.
asserted
Dodgers → remove → rotation
They didn’t.
asserted
They → do → ?
They could have sent him to the minor leagues.
uncertain
They → send → leagues
They didn’t.
asserted
They → do → ?
That meant something to Sasaki.
asserted
That → mean → Sasaki
“This time,” Sasaki said, “I want to be able to contribute to the team in whatever shape.”
asserted
I → say → shape
The feelings point to a growing trust that has developed between Sasaki and the Dodgers.
asserted
that → point → Sasaki
At this stage of the season last year, they didn’t seem to be on the same page.
asserted
they → seem → page
As he shined as their closer last October, Dodgers officials and coaches told stories about how they helped Sasaki rediscover his 100-mph fastball.
asserted
Sasaki → shin → fastball
Sasaki downplayed the team’s role in his resurgence, saying he figured out what he was doing wrong by watching videos of himself pitching in high school.
asserted
himself → downplay → school
Sasaki is said to have become more open to instruction this season, which contributed to an improved fastball as well as the incorporation of a different variation of his signature forkball.
asserted
which → say → forkball
Fatigue was a factor for him in the postseason, and by the World Series, he looked like a spent cartridge.
asserted
he → look → cartridge
To close out Game 7 of the World Series, manager Dave Roberts went to Yamamoto, who was pitching his third inning in relief a day after making a six-inning start.
asserted
who → close → start
Sasaki looks more capable of shouldering a reliever’s schedule and workload.
asserted
Sasaki → look → schedule
Sasaki closing games in the upcoming postseason is “certainly an option,” manager Dave Roberts said.
asserted
Roberts → close → postseason
Edwin Diaz has worked his way back into ninth-inning consideration by posting three consecutive scoreless appearances since his return from his latest IL stint.
asserted
Diaz → work → stint
Tanner Scott has been the Dodgers’ primary closer this season, but Roberts said there could be instances in which the left-hander is used earlier in games in high-leverage situations.
uncertain
hander → say → situations
Sasaki said he would pitch whenever asked.
asserted
he → say → ?
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
