Did the starter use up all his strength in the first inning…Sasaki fastball 160.2km → 2 times 157.4km → 3 times 156.5km, coach Roberts' unexpected evaluation?
Did the starter use up all his strength in the first inning…Sasaki fastball 160.2km → 2 times 157.4km → 3 times 156.5km, coach Roberts' unexpected evaluation?
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He started off strong. All six of his first pitches in his Major League debut on Wednesday were four-seam fastballs. His first four pitches exceeded 100 mph. His fourth pitch of 100.5 mph was the fastest in the entire game along with Chicago Cubs fastball pitcher Nate Pearson.
He failed to maintain this speed while pitching. Sasaki's average speed of four-seam dropped from 160.2 kilometers per hour in the first inning to 157.4 kilometers in the second inning, and 156.5 kilometers in the third inning. Although he gathered his strength again in the third inning and had more than 98 miles (157.7 kilometers) of four-seam, overall his speed was lower than that of the first inning.
Although the pitching direction of starting pitchers in the Major League is gradually changing to "stronger shorter innings," starting pitchers in the third inning are not enough. However, not only Sasaki but also manager Dave Roberts showed satisfaction with the ball speed during the actual match in mid-March. What was regrettable was that he walked.
Sasaki threw 56 pitches during three innings on Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing one hit, three strikeouts, five walks and one run before being replaced. Dodgers ended the game with a 6-3 victory, but the winning pitcher was Landon Neck, the fourth pitcher to score two scoreless innings.
"It was nice to throw in the great atmosphere that Japanese fans created at the opening game in Japan," Sasaki said after the game. Regarding the contents of the game, he said, "I trained many times since spring training, and the four-seam was the best there. There was a side where my control was shaky, but I felt good. I thought it would be nice to be able to throw a ball of the same quality in the same form and in a similar place. Overall, it was good."
His control was particularly shaky in the third inning. He gave up three consecutive walks to Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, and Kyle Tucker with one out and runners on the second base to lose a point. The score was narrowed from 3-0 to 3-1. Sasaki said, "In terms of control, there were some things that were a little out of sync compared to the second inning. I have to fix it for the next time, but I liked that I threw well from the first inning. I had no sense for a while, so it was good that the sense came back. I feel like I came out well because I was able to throw with good form."
"I think I was nervous. Of course, I understand that," Roberts said of Sasaki's debut game. His ball speed was good, but his command and control were one disappointment. Again, his ball control seemed to have faltered for psychological reasons. However, he pitched well despite struggling in the third inning, giving high marks to him that he got out of the woods by allowing the least number of runs. 스포츠토토
Even before the game, Roberts said, "The command of four-seam determines the success or failure of Sasaki. In order to properly use the splitter, which is the main weapon, we need to preempt the advantageous count, and in order to do so, we need to control the four-seam ball.
"I was reminded of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was a rookie in the Major League last year," Roberts said after the game. Fast ball control is the most important thing for Major League pitchers, and breaking ball control comes next. The most important thing is to control the four core. If the splitter falls effectively near the home plate, it will be able to induce more swings and misses," he said.