Roki Sasaki spoke after the game about facing boos from Philadelphia Phillies fans: "Since they were speaking English, I didn’t understand it."

In the MLB National League Division Series playoffs, the Los Angeles Dodgers edged out the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in the second game, with Roki Sasaki coming in urgently in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the lead. Confronted by a crowd at Citizens Bank Park that was almost at full capacity, delivering both boos and cheers, Sasaki laughed after the game, saying, "They were speaking English, which I couldn’t understand, so I didn’t mind it."

Sasaki entered the game after Alex Vesia recorded the second out of the inning, facing Trea Turner with runners on first and third. He threw a 99.3 mph (about 159.8 km/h) fastball that forced Turner to hit a ground ball toward second base. Second baseman Tommy Edman fielded a tricky bounce, but fortunately Freddie Freeman made a successful play to secure the final out, helping the Dodgers clinch the victory.

Talking about that pitch, Sasaki chuckled, "Ah, I forgot to cover the base, I’ll remember next time." He also shared his mindset at the moment: "I thought to myself, even if I get hit, it’s okay, as long as I stay calm."

Since returning to the major leagues late in the regular season, Sasaki has shown consistent performance and gradually earned the coaching staff’s trust. This form has continued into the playoffs, where he first successfully held the line in the Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds (though without a save), and then helped secure wins in two consecutive games in the Division Series. So far, his batting average allowed in three playoff appearances is only .125, along with three strikeouts.