Overview
- The Dodgers beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 on Friday night when Dalton Rushing delivered a two-out, two-run walk-off hit to cap a three-run ninth-inning rally.
- Sasaki shut out Baltimore through 5.2 innings and struck out six while averaging about 98.7–98.8 mph on his fastball and topping out near 100.6–100.7 mph.
- His start unraveled in the sixth when Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso hit back-to-back homers, prompting manager Dave Roberts to remove Sasaki after the three-run frame.
- Los Angeles built an early lead thanks to a bases-clearing hit by Max Muncy and an Andy Pages RBI double, and Mookie Betts later hit a solo homer that set the stage for the ninth-inning comeback.
- Sasaki, a 24-year-old recent arrival from Japan, is in a common MLB adjustment phase where elite velocity coexists with inconsistent secondary pitches, and his development will shape his role on the Dodgers later this season.