Monday, October 6, 2025

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2025

Exhale Dodger fans!  Roki Sasaki preserved a crucial 4-to-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Los Angeles Dodgers need one more win to go to the NLCS.

For six innings, this game was a pitching duel between Blake Snell and Jesus Luzardo. Then, the Dodgers exploded for four runs in the seventh.

Teoscar Hernàndez singled to begin the seventh. Freddie Freeman doubled. After Tommy Edman struck out, Kiké Hernàndez had a swinging bunt scoring Teoscar Hernàndez. Will Smith, recovering from a hairline fracture in his right hand, singled in Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani singled in Kiké Hernàndez and Smith.

Snell was excellent, but he issued four walks in six innings. The only time he was in trouble was in the sixth but could get out of the sixth without allowing a run.

Emmet Sheehan was brilliant even though he allowed a run in two innings. In the past, Sheehan had struggled during the postseason. He was great and didn’t look nervous.

The ninth inning gave Dodger fans heartburn and heart attack. Blake Teinen was having difficulty preventing hits. After he allowed three hits and two runs without getting an out because his command was awful, Dave Roberts lifted Treinen for Alex Vesia. If Max Muncy and Mookie Betts hadn’t paired for a marvelous defensive play at third, the Phillies would have scored the tying run.  

While Roberts won’t name Roki Sasaki as the closer, he brought him in the ninth with two outs and two runners in scoring position. On his third pitch, Sasaki convinced Trea Turner to ground to Edman who almost threw the ball away, but Freeman made a remarkable catch to get the win for LA.

The Dodgers have an opportunity to sweep the Phillies on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. To order to do this, the Dodgers must score early and often, Yoshinobu Yamamoto must be brilliant for at least six innings, and the bullpen needs to retire hitters and stop giving people heartburn and heart attacks.