After a delay of over three hours before the start of the game, the Dodgers and Braves finally got underway and the Dodger bats were ready. They jumped out to a big lead behind the top of the order compiling hit after hit, which helped Roki Sasaki settle in and cruise to his first MLB win in a 10-3 victory. That’s now seven straight wins and a series win over the Braves.
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As mentioned, Roki Sasaki got his first MLB win today, though he probably wasn’t at his sharpest. Touting improved fastball and slider command but struggling with his split command, he managed to navigate through five innings and did enough. To start, he struck out two in the 1st to help work around an infield single and a walk.
Two strikeouts for Roki Sasaki in the first ? pic.twitter.com/QGwZlJPpnH
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 4, 2025
On the other end, it seemed like another tough matchup with Spencer Schwellenbach on the mound, but the Dodgers knocked him around a bit.
After a 1st where he gave up just a single but labored through 24 pitches, Will Smith led the 2nd off with a double, and then he hit Max Muncy with an 0-2 pitch. A flyout moved Will to third, and while Michael Conforto tried to ground into a double play, he ended up driving in a run for a 1-0 lead.
That didn’t last long, as Roki started the 2nd giving up a single, stolen base, and a one-out Eli White triple down the line in right that saw Teoscar Hernandez misplay another ball in the corner. Roki managed to strand that runner at third to escape trouble, but it was 1-1.
Eli White ties the game up with an RBI triple for the @Braves! ? pic.twitter.com/PXNC4UVPAo
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 4, 2025
Thankfully, the Dodgers continued to support him, as Schwellenbach’s 3rd started off as poorly as possible, as the first pitch was hit out to dead center by Shohei Ohtani for his eighth homer.
Rain not stopping this Sho. pic.twitter.com/3xCXq76xnd
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 4, 2025
Shohei Ohtani got all of that one for his eighth homer of the season ? pic.twitter.com/RmJVi0PQPt
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 4, 2025
That ended up starting a rally in a way, as Mookie Betts singled, got to second on a groundout, and then scored on a Teoscar single. 3-1.
Despite those rallies, it was the 4th that was the big one and it all came with two outs. A Shohei single was followed by a Mookie double while Shohei was running, so he scored a run. A Freddie Freeman single scored Mookie from second and knocked Schwellenbach out.
The pen didn’t provide much relief, as Teoscar nubbed a ball in front of the plate, which led to an infield single when the pitcher failed to field the ball, and a run after a bizarre error by the pitcher scored a confused Freeman. Smith completed the four-run rally by singling. 7-1.
Four runs in the fourth! pic.twitter.com/SJnCIChHUx
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 4, 2025
Back to Roki, he got a pair of strikeouts in the 3rd only issuing a walk in the inning. After the long delay, he ended up struggling to start the 4th. He fell behind Ozzie Albies, and he smashed a homer to right to start things. Later, a one-out single was followed by a Nick Allen double as the bottom of the order plated a run and made it 7-3 all of a sudden.
Again though, Roki settled in, getting the last two outs while only hitting a batter to avoid the big inning.
After that mess, Roki got his first 1-2-3 frame in the 5th as he set a career-high in pitches to put himself in line for the win: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 98 Pitches.
Taking over for him in the 6th was Anthony Banda, who cruised through a 10-pitch frame. He also got one out in the 7th before turning it over to Kirby Yates, who eventually got the final two outs despite giving up a double.
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Surprisingly, the bats went quiet after the early outburst. They didn’t do anything in the 5th, managed just a single in the 6th, and then a walk in the 7th.
Finally, they got going in the 8th thanks to some help, as back-to-back one-out walks to Shohei and Mookie were followed by Freddie smacking a three-run homer for his sixth dinger to make it a 10-3 blowout.
Freddie! Freddie! Freddie! pic.twitter.com/MPLnrybssW
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 4, 2025
That was the end of the scoring for the Dodgers.
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Closing the game out for the Dodgers was Alex Vesia in the 8th, who allowed a single and nothing else, with Mookie showing that he looks like a good shortstop.
Wasn’t gonna do video today, but Mookie Betts … shortstop. pic.twitter.com/DbBuFoSsIe
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 4, 2025
In the 9th, Hyeseong Kim took the field at second base for his MLB debut, and Luis Garcia took the mound to finish the game off with a scoreless inning.
Hyeseong Kim is all smiles as he takes the field for his Major League debut 👏 pic.twitter.com/wWmlAQsKJs
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 4, 2025
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Hooray.
Congratulations Roki on your first Major League win! pic.twitter.com/dPenpDcopU
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 4, 2025
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The series will conclude tomorrow at 1:00 PM HT/4:00 PM PT/7:00 PM ET with Dustin May on the bump against Bryce Elder. Hopefully it comes and goes without rain, that’s all I ask.
