Dodgers see progress in Roki Sasakis rollercoaster first half: Grade and a half better

A “fight or flight” moment, as manager Dave Roberts described it, arose for Roki Sasaki in the fourth inning on Wednesday.This time, the young right-handed phenom finally showed the Dodgers what they have been looking for.In his second MLB season, Sasaki’s performance in the Dodgers’ rotation can be easily summed up: “Inconsistent,” Roberts said.“Room for growth.” At times, he has looked like a future star, firing 100 mph fastballs and knee-buckling splitters.

At others, he has seemed like a lost cause, unable to command pitches or maintain his delivery or –– most importantly –– grind his way out of tough spots.That last point, as much as anything, is what had bothered Roberts most during Sasaki’s latest recent downturn, with a string of four bad starts pushing his ERA back to 5.40.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story Yes, the Dodgers believed the 24-year-old had been tipping his pitches, especially in his most recent outing against the Padres.And no, they didn’t think his mechanics were completely synced up, leading to a dip in velocity and scatter-shot command around the zone.But still, Roberts noted before Wednesday’s game, there was no excuse for Sasaki not being better at simply competing. “I think for me it’s execution,” he said.

“Just going out there and compete.The mechanics part of it – that’s done.

That’s all done in the week leading up to your start.Now it’s just about competition.”Thus, in the top of the fourth, Sasaki’s biggest test arrived.Having already blown an early three-run lead against the Colorado Rockies, the Japanese phenom was on the verge of implosion with runners at second and third and no outs in the inning, staring down the kind of disaster scenario he has so often s...