The Los Angeles Dodgers made quick work of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, winning the series 3–1. The series ended in heartbreaking fashion for the Phillies, as Orion Kerkering threw a wild pitch to the backstop in extra innings, sealing their elimination. A major part of the Dodgers’ win was the dominant performance of rookie Roki Sasaki, who threw three shutout innings out of the bullpen.

“Roki Sasaki is the Dodgers bullpen. The man has retired 9 straight Phillies batters. All of the concerns the Dodgers had about their bullpen are being answered by this 23-year-old,” Dodgers Nation posted.

Sasaki was once thought to be a long shot, with the Dodgers originally hoping he would develop into a starter. But with just two weeks left in the regular season, Sasaki transitioned to the bullpen — a move that may have saved the Dodgers’ postseason hopes.

“The first part of it was him giving himself the opportunity to agree to go to the ‘pen. And then the next part is, he’s got to perform,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Tonight, he performed. He was really good. And let’s see it again on Sunday. And then it kind of puts the onus on the organization to make a decision. In the postseason, there’s no roles. They’re all leverage.”

Following Sasaki’s clutch performance on Thursday, Roberts had high praise for his emerging star.

“You’re talking about one of the great all-time appearances out of the ‘pen that I can remember. We’re starting to see something really special in him,” Roberts told the media.

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Sasaki has proven to be a blessing in disguise and has not folded under the pressure of his new role. His composure and effectiveness have solidified his place in the bullpen — and now, the Dodgers know exactly how to use him.

The Dodgers will now wait to face the winner of the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers series. If Los Angeles goes back-to-back and wins another championship, Roki Sasaki will be one of the biggest reasons why.