Roki Sasaki’s path in the big leagues has tested the resolve of a player who, before coming to the US, had known nothing but absolute success in his career. Something has clicked during the course of the season, though, for the right-hander to turn a corner in the last month, finishing May with a 3.18 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP. In his last start, Sazaki showed up with increased velocity, sitting at 98.5 MPH on his four-seam fastball, nearly a tick and a half above his season average. The increased velocity helped Sasaki induce more whiffs on his four-seamer, something he hasn’t done particularly well this season, with a whiff rate slightly below league average on the pitch.
As well as Sasaki pitched against the Phillies in a game the Dodgers ended up losing thanks to late hiccups from Tanner Scott, much like in Thursday’s defeat against the D-backs—it pales in comparison with what Sasaki accomplished the last time he faced the Angels. Sasaki was marvelous in seven innings of one-run ball against the Angels with eight punchouts, keeping Mike Trout in the yard, the number one goal for any pitcher facing the Halos.
On the other side, the Dodgers sit in the dark on what to expect from opposing starter Reid Detmers and the Angels. They’ll be facing a starting pitcher who, in the month of May alone, managed to walk six batters, strike out 14, and give up eight earned runs, all in separate starts. When he is on, Detmers can dominate a lineup, but that’s not the case very often. Historically, the Dodgers have punished Detmers quite regularly with 19 runs in just 29 innings against the southpaw.
Friday’s game info
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Teams: Dodgers vs. Angels
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Ballpark: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
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Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
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