Let’s dive into the buzz from the Tokyo Dome, where the Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up a 2-0 sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series, capping it off with a 6-3 win on Wednesday. The spotlight, though, was firmly on rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki, who made his MLB debut in front of a roaring hometown crowd. The 23-year-old Japanese phenom gave us a taste of what’s to come—three innings, one earned run, one hit, three strikeouts, and five walks. It wasn’t perfect, but man, there’s a lot to unpack here, and Dodgers fans are already dreaming about what this kid can do once he settles in.
Sasaki came out firing, and you could feel the electricity in the air. His fastball was touching 101 mph—yeah, you read that right—which is the kind of heat that makes hitters sit back and rethink their life choices. But as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pointed out, the nerves were real. “I think there were nerves, and understandably so,” Roberts said after the game. “The velocity was good, but I thought the emotions, the adrenaline, was hard to rein in.” You can’t blame Sasaki for feeling the moment—debuting in the majors, in Tokyo no less, with the weight of a new team and a new country on his shoulders. That’s a lot for anyone, let alone a rookie stepping into the Dodgers’ star-studded rotation.
The first couple of innings showed flashes of why the Dodgers were so hyped to sign him. Sasaki was pumping gas, and the Cubs were struggling to catch up to his fastball. He racked up three strikeouts, including a couple of swing-and-miss beauties that had the Tokyo crowd buzzing. But the third inning? That’s where things got a little dicey. After Jon Berti legged out an infield single, Sasaki’s command started to wobble. He walked Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki back-to-back, loading the bases with one out. Then came Kyle Tucker, the Cubs’ big bat, and Sasaki walked him too, forcing in a run. You could almost hear the collective gulp from Dodgers fans watching at home. Bases loaded, one out, and a rookie on the mound—it’s the kind of spot that can unravel a debut in a hurry.
But here’s where Sasaki showed some serious guts. Facing Michael Busch, he dialed it up and struck him out swinging. Then he got Matt Shaw to whiff too, escaping the jam with just that one run crossing the plate. That’s the kind of poise you don’t expect from a guy in his first MLB game, especially after walking five batters in three innings. Roberts saw enough, though, and pulled him at the start of the fourth, handing the ball to Luis Garcia. “The highs are going to be high, and when he’s not commanding it, it gets a little bit tricky,” Roberts said, summing up the outing perfectly. He also noted that Sasaki was itching to stay in—“he wanted to keep going,” Roberts admitted—but the skipper made the call to protect his young arm. Smart move, especially this early in the season.
What’s clear is that Sasaki’s got the stuff to be a game-changer. That 101 mph fastball is a weapon, and when he’s locating, he’s going to be a problem for hitters. The five walks, though? That’s the adrenaline talking, and it’s something he’ll need to iron out as he gets more big-league reps. The good news for Dodgers fans is that he’s landing in the perfect spot to grow. This team is loaded—Shohei Ohtani’s still doing superhero things (more on that in a sec), the lineup’s deep, and the rotation’s got enough depth that Sasaki doesn’t have to be an ace overnight. He can take his time, learn the ropes, and build on this debut without the pressure of carrying the team on his back.
Speaking of Ohtani, the Tokyo Series was his homecoming too, and he didn’t disappoint. He launched a monster home run that had the crowd losing their minds—reports say it was just shy of his career-best distance. Roberts couldn’t help but gush, calling him a “superhero” in the postgame presser, and you can’t argue with that. A 10-year-old Dodgers fan even snagged Ohtani’s homer ball, which is the kind of memory that kid will be telling his grandkids about someday. The Dodgers’ trip to Japan was a win on every level—2-0 in the regular season games, a fired-up fanbase, and a glimpse of the future with Sasaki on the mound.
Now, the Dodgers are headed back to the States, and all eyes are on Sasaki to see how he builds on this debut. The potential’s there—electric stuff, a fighter’s mentality, and a team around him that’s built to win. If he can harness that adrenaline and tighten up his command, we might be talking about a new star in L.A. by the time October rolls around. For now, though, it’s one start in the books, and the kid’s already got us hooked. Welcome to the show, Roki—let’s see what you’ve got next.
