Why Dodgers Roki Sasaki has harder fastball and bigger glove

Welcome to the California Post’s weekly Dodgers recap, where we review the week that was, hand out very official awards and take stock of the state of the season.Has Roki Sasaki started using a bigger glove?We’ll get to Sasaki’s improved form (and fastball velocity) in a minute.But to the above question … yes, even if the Dodgers have tried to be coy about it.When Sasaki took the mound for his first start of the second half last week, it was impossible not to notice that his yellow Nike glove seemed to have grown in size.Fans immediately pointed it out.

So did the team’s broadcasters.Evidently, after dealing with pitch-tipping issues a couple weeks prior, this was the solution.When Dodgers coaches were pressed on Sasaki’s glove this week, however, they feigned ignorance about the change.Pitching coach Mark Prior simply shrugged when asked about the change.Assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness deadpanned: “Is it different? Looks the same to me.”Even manager Dave Roberts claimed not to have noticed a difference.“Clearly I missed it,” he claimed, rather unconvincingly.“But I’m happy he did.”Indeed, Sasaki was having enough troubles this year even before pitch-tipping concerns arose in a three-inning, six-run start against the Padres on July 2.But since then, he has improved in all areas — including his ability to hide the ball behind an oversized mitt.Roki Sasaki (5 ⅔ innings, 1 run at Yankees last week; 3-5, 4.98 ERA on season)Now for Sasaki’s actual pitching, which also appeared to turn a corner at Yankee Stadium last week.For the first time in his MLB career, Sasaki averaged over 100 mph with his fastball and nearly eclipsed 102 mph a couple times.

He coupled that with consistent command and deceptive execution of his breaking pitches.He, for perhaps the first time, showed how he can be a dominant big-league starter, rediscovering the form that made him a phenom prospect in Japan.The question now is whether the right-hander can...