Sunday, May 17, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

Roki Sasaki’s best start in the major leagues enabled the Dodgers to sweep the Angels.

The Los Angeles Dodgers smashed the Los Angeles Angels, 10–1. Going to San Diego, the Dodgers lead the Padres by 0.5 games in the National League West.

For the first time in his major league career, Sasaki went seven innings and did not issue a walk. He commanded his fastball, splitter, forkball, and sweeper. His delivery was repeated consistently, and his confidence was visible. Although he allowed a run in the fourth inning, he wasn’t flustered. He struck out a career high eight.

The offense exploded even though the Dodgers didn’t have a home run. Timely hitting and hustling enabled the Dodgers to score ten runs. Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages, and Kyle Tucker had crucial hits with runners in scoring position.

Alex Vesia and Chayce McDermott were sharp in relief.

Before the game, the Dodgers placed Jack Dreyer with left shoulder inflammation on the IL.  Dreyer was one of the best Dodger relievers. This year, he had a 2.08 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 20 games.

The Dodgers acquired Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. On Monday, the Blue Jays placed Lauer on waivers since he had not performed well this season. In eight games this season, he had one win, five losses, a 6.69 ERA, and 26 strikeouts. He allowed eleven home runs.

The Dodgers needed another starter after Blake Snell was placed on the IL. Tuesday, Snell will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. The team wants to be cautious with Tyler Glasnow.  Glasnow has had difficulty staying on the field during his major league career. He suffered a back spasm after pitching one inning in his start against the Houston Astros on May 6^th.  

The Dodgers didn’t want to rush River Ryan to the majors. Ryan, a talented right-handed pitcher, underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2024.  This spring training, he impressed, but the Dodgers decided to have him start the season in Oklahoma City. He missed a month with a hamstring injury. On Friday, he made his first start and performed well, reaching 100 mph six times. However, the team wants to preserve his major league innings for later in the season.

To make room on the forty-man roster for Lauer,  the team transferred Brusdar Graterol from the ten-day to the sixty-day IL. Graterol hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series. In November 2024, he underwent right shoulder surgery, and his rehabilitation process has taken longer than expected. At the beginning of May, he began a rehabilitation assignment, but two weeks ago, he injured his back. The likable right-handed reliever’s season is in jeopardy.

On Monday, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, the Dodgers begin an important three-game series against the Padres.