Roki Sasaki shows more growth despite late stumble in Dodgers win over Mariners

With five scoreless innings at the beginning of his start Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, Roki Sasaki took another promising step forward.As he flirted with near-disaster while facing the Seattle Mariners order for the third time in the top of the sixth, he nearly took another step back.In his third outing since a sudden midseason resurgence following the All-Star break, Sasaki showed the best and worst parts of himself in the Dodgers’ 6-2 win.At first, he was flawless, dominating the Mariners lineup with 100 mph fastballs and swing-and-miss splitters.Then, in the sixth, he faltered, giving up two runs before Jack Dreyer came on and saved his final line by escaping a bases-loaded, one-out jam.So it goes in Sasaki’s continued development as a major-league starter.Headed in the right direction.

But still with a ways to go.“This start, for five innings, was even better [than his previous ones],” manager Dave Roberts said afterward.As for the sixth?“There was some cramping,” Roberts revealed, saying the issue was in his legs and calf.“I didn’t realize until later.

I think that’s part of what led to that sixth inning.”Given the disastrous way Sasaki’s second MLB season started, his first five innings are what will matter more to the Dodgers –– serving as another sign of tangible progress in what has been recently rapid improvement.During that stretch Thursday, he struck out seven batters while allowing only two singles and a walk.He commanded his fastball and used it as an occasional putaway weapon.

He looked even more lethal with his splitter, which generated nine whiffs out of 20 swings while accounting for four of his punchouts.“I think it all goes back to throwing strike one,” catcher Dalton Rushing said.“If you get strike one, I think everyone knows how good his splitter is.”But then came the sixth, when the top of the Seattle order was due up for the third time Thursday night.Cole Young started the inning with a triple, which...