""Honestly, I could have went to a couple other guys in those spots," Roberts said. "But just kind of knowing who I've got, I felt good about those guys we ran out there. "And with Roki, I just felt that the lane right there, you know, asking Alex [Vesia] to do an up/down, I just felt comfortable with him right there.""
""I just don't want to be pigeonholed into the ninth because with the way this lineup is constructed, there could be different ways where the eighth could present itself where he could be the best option," said Roberts. "But I do consider him one of our top highest-leverage relievers for sure.""
Roki Sasaki has closed out the Dodgers' last two postseason games but manager Dave Roberts will not permanently designate him as the closer. Sasaki returned from a shoulder impingement and increased his fastball velocity and command during rehab, prompting bullpen experiments that exceeded expectations. In four recent bullpen appearances he logged four innings with two hits allowed, seven strikeouts and no walks. Roberts used Sasaki in specific high-leverage situations, values matchup flexibility, and considers Sasaki one of the team's top high-leverage relievers while avoiding assigning him exclusively to ninth-inning duties.
Read at Dodgers Nation
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