Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki lights up birthday with 5-word shot at Yoshinobu Yamamoto in rare pitcher-on-pitcher at-bat

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Japanese contingent came through for the team during their World Series-winning campaign for a second consecutive season.

While Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto stole the limelight with their postseason performance, Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki had a strong end to his season.

Sasaki celebrated his 24th birthday on Monday as the Dodgers celebrated their World Series win with a parade before celebrating it with the fans at Dodger Stadium.

The Japanese rookie celebrated his birthday by going up against Yamamoto in a simulated at-bat in the Dodger Stadium batting cages. Sasaki shared his at-bat in an Instagram clip with a five-word message.

“Yoshi is nasty. Strike 3.”

Although Sasaki fouled off a pitch, he connected with thin air for strike 3 against his compatriot. While Yamamoto is contending for his maiden NL Cy Young award, Sasaki struggled at the start of the season.

His early struggles were followed by an injury concern that sidelined him for most of the midseason. He was moved to the bullpen during the postseason and the 24-year-old shone in his new role.

Freedie Freeman highlighted Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s World Series heroics

Yoshinobu Yamamoto made his third World Series appearance after he pitched out of the bullpen in Game 7 without any rest. He shut out the Blue Jays over 2.2 innings to clinch a 5-4 win for the Dodgers.

Yamamoto’s heroics in the Fall Classic earned him the World Series MVP title. Last year’s World Series MVP, Freddie Freeman, praised the Japanese pitcher’s performance.

“Game 7 had everything you could possibly think of,” Freeman began. “From benches clearing, to changing leads, to tying games, then Miguel Rojas hitting the game tying home run with one out in the ninth…just so many things happened. But the main thing is, I have never seen Yoshinobu Yamamoto do what he did.”

“I was even shocked when he was warming up in the bullpen,” Freeman said. “And then come in and throw the most innings out of all our pitches the day after he started.”

While Freeman praised all the Dodgers players for their contributions, the former MVP singled out Yamamoto’s performance in the best-of-seven series.