Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki made his MLB debut in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 7-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, but his performance was far from what was expected.
Sasaki, one of the most sought-after pitchers in the MLB offseason, had a disastrous outing in his first appearance in American baseball and his work was just one and two-thirds innings.
Dodgers fans were happy to have one of the best international pitchers on their team, but yesterday Sasaki generated a mountain of doubts.
The 23-year-old pitcher was hit for three hits and two earned runs and two strikeouts, but what is most striking were the four walks he gave up in his short appearance on the mound at Dodger Stadium.
To make matters worse, Sasaki made 61 pitches, of which only 32 were in the strike zone, forcing manager Dave Roberts to pull him from the mound with the game tied 2-2.
The reaction on social media after Sasaki’s bad outing
Sasaki’s performance immediately generated a reaction from Dodgers fans, who went all out, and some even went so far as to say that the young Asian does not deserve to be in the Major Leagues.
“He doesn’t deserve to be in MLB. He’s too scared to throw strikes. They’ll send him down in two weeks,” wrote one fan.
“Damn idiot, hahaha, at least he can speak Japanese in the dugout,” wrote another fan, while another posted: “That was a lot of money for a Triple-A pitcher”.
But it is worth remembering that Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a similar story when he made his debut with the Dodgers.
Yamamoto struggled and was forced to be pulled from the mound. It’s quite normal, especially for Japanese pitchers, as they find several differences.
The ball size is different in Japan and in the Major Leagues; moreover, Sasaki may have been under a lot of pressure, considering that it was his debut at Dodger Stadium.
Dodgers fans may have expected a lot from the pitcher, but he has a whole season ahead of him to prove his worth.
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