Roki Sasaki met with reporters following his latest start for the Los Angeles Dodgers, offering his thoughts on how he approached the outing amid the team's ongoing losing streak.
Roki Sasaki explained that opposing hitters had been aggressive early in counts, but he felt he was still able to compete in the zone and attack hitters with confidence throughout his outing. He acknowledged that some hard-hit balls found fielders directly, suggesting a bit of fortune played a role in his results, but maintained that his overall approach of working aggressively in the strike zone held up.
Asked about his mindset entering the game with the Dodgers mired in a losing skid, Roki Sasaki said he tried to concentrate only on what he could control. He described a focus on limiting free passes and going as deep into games as possible, rather than trying to force perfect outcomes or carry the weight of the team's recent results on his shoulders.
Roki Sasaki also reflected on his command during the outing, admitting that his control was not as sharp as in previous starts and that several pitches drifted higher in the zone than intended. He noted that a number of those elevated pitches were hit hard but happened to find fielders, which he credited partly to good fortune rather than pure execution.
Looking ahead, Roki Sasaki said that if he can make adjustments to keep those elevated pitches from creeping up in the zone, he believes his strong string of outings can continue. He framed the outing as a positive overall result despite the command issues, expressing confidence that refining that detail would help sustain his recent form.