{"id":104548,"date":"2025-10-08T08:29:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T08:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=104548"},"modified":"2025-10-08T08:29:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T08:29:48","slug":"dodgers-decision-dave-roberts-crowns-the-6m-rookie-flamethrower-as-the-postseason-closer-signaling-a-bold-shift-in-las-bullpen-strategy-and-sparking-debate-over-whether-this-fearless-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=104548","title":{"rendered":"DODGERS DECISION: Dave Roberts crowns the $6M rookie flamethrower as the postseason closer, signaling a bold shift in LA\u2019s bullpen strategy and sparking debate over whether this fearless move could define the Dodgers\u2019 playoff destiny…ll"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Los<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn\u2019t expect Roki Sasaki to play a significant role in the postseason. However, one simple change was all it took for Sasaki to prove what he\u2019s truly made of. Now, he\u2019s the most anticipated arm out of the bullpen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI genuinely thought we wouldn’t see Roki Sasaki return in 2025… I figured they’d just shut him down and try again in 2026. He’s seriously the reliever I trust the most right now and he should be the closer moving forward. He’s looked flat out untouchable since returning,\u201d Dodgers beat writer Blake Harris wrote.<\/p>\n

It took a lot of courage for Sasaki to make the switch so late in the season, but he knew it was his last resort. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised him for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,” 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.”<\/p>\n

Sasaki earned saves in the first two games of the NLDS. In Game 2, he was brought in to face just one batter in the ninth inning. Tuesday was an off day for the Dodgers, and Roberts has now essentially named Sasaki the closer moving forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoki Sasaki is now the primary option to pitch in the 9th inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says,\u201d USA Today\u2019s Bob Nightengale posted.<\/p>\n

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp<\/p>\n

This move felt inevitable\u2014it was only a matter of when. Everything is happening fast for Sasaki. In just two weeks, he\u2019s gone from not making the roster to moving into the bullpen, becoming a key reliever, and now taking over as the closer.<\/p>\n

Sasaki is on a tear right now and looks nearly untouchable. The rookie has come out of nowhere and is poised to play a vital role if the Dodgers hope to go back-to-back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Dodgers’ Dave Roberts has finally gave the fans what they wanted for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":104552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nDODGERS DECISION: Dave Roberts crowns the $6M rookie flamethrower as the postseason closer, signaling a bold shift in LA\u2019s bullpen strategy and sparking debate over whether this fearless move could define the Dodgers\u2019 playoff destiny...ll - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=104548\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DODGERS DECISION: Dave Roberts crowns the $6M rookie flamethrower as the postseason closer, signaling a bold shift in LA\u2019s bullpen strategy and sparking debate over whether this fearless move could define the Dodgers\u2019 playoff destiny...ll - 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