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The Unsung Hero<\/h2>\n
In his first month in the big leagues, Sasaki pitched to a 4.72 ERA and looked outmatched as a starter. After being demoted on May 9, Sasaki would not pitch until September 24th, but from then on, pitched to a 0.90 ERA along with three saves in the postseason.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old Japanese phenom played a major role in closing out all three of the Dodgers\u2019 NLDS wins over the Phillies, and helped patch up a major weakness for the Dodgers heading into the postseason.<\/p>\n
It was only general manager Andrew Friedman\u2019s valuation of guys like Sasaki, and the formation of a favorable culture for Japanese standouts including Ohtani, Yamamoto, Sasaki, along with Hyeseong Kim, that made Sasaki\u2019s late season success possible.<\/p>\n
Of course, Yamamoto has been as advertised in his second year, and would have made a legitimate push for Cy Young if Paul Skenes didn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n
The Easy Scapegoat<\/h2>\n\n
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As the Dodgers return to the Fall Classic as a team so representative of baseball\u2019s parity problem, there\u2019s much more to consider than just the team\u2019s loose wallet.<\/p>\n
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