LOS ANGELES (AP) — Roki Sasaki's career with the Los Angeles Dodgers is not off to a sensational start.
For a young pitcher who's been a dominant force at every other step in his meteoric baseball career, that's both a surprise and a challenge.
Sasaki's Dodger Stadium debut ended in the second inning Saturday night after the touted right-hander again struggled with his control. He issued four walks and got only five outs while throwing 61 pitches to just 12 batters before manager Dave Roberts pulled him.
Sasaki made his major league debut last week against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, where he walked five in three innings while throwing just 25 strikes among 56 pitches. Back in Los Angeles, he allowed two runs and three singles while throwing 32 strikes and repeatedly falling behind the Tigers early in counts.
Sasaki didn't blame nervousness for his wildness, although his manager and his catcher said it had to be a factor.
“I felt like I was able to get into the game pretty well, without any nerves,” Sasaki said through interpreter Will Ireton. “I just didn’t feel like I had the stuff today.”
It’s far too early for the Dodgers to worry seriously about Sasaki, but the 23-year-old prospect touted as Japan’s most impressive young pitcher in several years has not yet found his groove with Los Angeles.
Aside from control issues for a pitcher who consistently hit the strike zone throughout his tenure with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki isn't getting consistency from his splitter, which can be unhittable at its best.
“We have full faith in him,” catcher Will Smith said. “He’s a super-talented pitcher. He knows what he’s doing. He’s pitched on the biggest stages and stuff like that. So back to the drawing board. Have a good bullpen this week, and I expect him to come back out in five, six days and be dominant.”
A crowd of 51,788 roared for Sasaki before his first pitch at Chavez Ravine, but he struggled to settle in from the start of his 41-pitch first inning. Detroit had five baserunners and scored twice: Manuel Margot got credit for an RBI single on a 30-foot squib, and Trey Sweeney drew a 10-pitch walk with the bases loaded.
“Dodger Stadium is intimidating,” Smith said. “There’s four decks here. It’s loud. It’s fun. It takes a lot to be able to perform here. Again, we have full confidence in Roki. He’ll settle in. He’ll start pitching better. He’ll start dominating soon. It’ll be really good for us.”
Sasaki issued two more walks in the second, and Roberts decided to end this debut before it got ugly.
“All he’s known is success, and so I think that he’s certainly upset, disappointed,” Roberts said. “But you’ve got to be a pro and get back to work, and it’s not the first time that the starting pitcher has had two bad outings. This is all a learning curve.”
Not everything was poor against the Tigers for Sasaki, who blew a 97 mph fastball past Riley Greene for one of his two strikeouts. Zach McKinstry’s leadoff single was the Tigers’ only hard-hit ball.
But it’s clearly not what Sasaki had in mind when he decided to leap stateside with the defending World Series champion Dodgers, who have said from the start that Sasaki’s development is far from finished.
“I don’t expect myself to be able to fix everything in a short period of time,” Sasaki said. “With that being said, though, I am going to be pitching every week, so I do expect as a major league pitcher to be able to put up quality outings. But it’s something I can expect myself to work on throughout.”
Jack Dreyer replaced Sasaki and got out of the second-inning jam, striking out Kerry Carpenter on four pitches. Los Angeles’ formidable lineup and bullpen easily covered for Sasaki’s struggles, powering to a 7-3 win and keeping the Dodgers (5-0) perfect to start the season.
Sasaki's next start is next weekend at Philadelphia. He will have time to work on his issues in the upcoming weeks, because the Dodgers have enough days off in April to keep Sasaki on a comfortable rest schedule.
Although the club has no firm timetable for Shohei Ohtani to join the rotation, the NL MVP threw a bullpen Saturday as he ramps up toward a possible return to the mound in May. When Ohtani returns, the Dodgers likely will go to a six-man rotation.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki throws to the plate during the second inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Barry Moore won the Alabama Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, benefiting from the endorsement of President Donald Trump in the solidly Republican state.
He defeated political newcomer Jared Hudson in the Republican primary runoff Tuesday.
Moore is a three-term congressman and a member of the conservative House freedom Caucus. In endorsing him, Trump said Alabama deserved a “Trump conservative” in the Senate.
Hudson, a former Navy SEAL, had forced Moore into a competitive runoff after the state’s May primary by running as a political outsider and attacking Moore over his ties to Washington.
The seat is being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor in November.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama congressman backed by President Donald Trump is seeking to defeat a political outsider in Tuesday's Republican runoff for the state's open U.S. Senate seat.
U.S. Rep. Barry Moore is facing former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson for the Republican nomination to advance to November's general election. The GOP is seeking to retain the seat vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor. Two Democrats also are in a runoff.
Trump's picks have largely prevailed in Republican primaries this year, although his preferred candidate for Iowa governor was defeated earlier this month. The Alabama race will be another test of his endorsement powers.
Moore is a three-term congressman and a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. He was an early backer of Trump's first presidential campaign and Trump returned the support.
“Barry Moore has my complete and total endorsement. He's the best America First candidate you can imagine,” Trump said recently.
Running as an outsider, Hudson had attacked Moore over his Washington ties while promising to be “a warrior for President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda.”
“If you want the same thing over and over again, elect a career politician. If you want different results, somebody who can take your issues to Washington and not bring the stupidity of Washington back here to you, send a warrior to Washington,” Hudson said during a candidate forum in May.
Hudson secured a runoff spot in May by narrowly edging a leading early contender, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.
Moore has leaned into his Washington record, highlighting Trump's endorsement and his scorecard from a conservative group that ranks members of Congress on their voting records. He said many candidates say they support Trump, but he can prove it.
“Look at my record, the most conservative member in the Alabama delegation, an ally of the president," Moore said. “The president has endorsed me because he’s seen me in the fire. I never bow down.”
Moore's experience was a deciding factor for some voters who cast their ballots for him Tuesday, as a steady rain fell across much of Alabama.
“He’s the best qualified, I can tell you that — no question," said Bob Marshall, 91, who voted for Moore at a Methodist church in Pike Road, a rural-feeling suburb near Montgomery, the state capital.
Hudson has quipped that he doesn't have a legislative scorecard, but has racked up a high score "against the Taliban in over 60 combat operations."
Julian Metheny, who voted for Hudson Tuesday in Shelby County, said he was drawn to the Republican candidate’s service as a Navy SEAL, his Christian messaging and that he is not part of the political system.
“I like the fact that he was willing to put his life on the line for our country,” said Metheny, 70, who is from a family with multiple veterans.
“He’s not playing the game of politics. He’s an outsider,” he said.
On the Democratic side, attorney Everett Wess and business owner Dakarai Larriett are in a runoff for their party's nomination.
Republicans currently hold all statewide offices, but Democrats believe frustration with inflation and other issues could give them an opening.
“Families throughout Alabama are struggling with inflation, housing costs, high gas bills, high utility bills and these everyday expenses,” Wess said during an online candidate forum hosted by Birmingham Indivisible.
Wess is the managing partner of The Wess Law Firm and a former municipal judge, city prosecutor and public defender. His legal practice is primarily focused on estate planning and criminal defense.
He has emphasized his legal experience, community positions and experience working within the Democratic Party.
Larriett is the owner of a pet care business. He said he was motivated to run after an encounter with police officers in Michigan two years ago when he said he was falsely arrested.
"We can and we must nominate a fighter, a Democratic fighter, for the United States Senate, someone who represents our values," Larriett said during the forum. He said the party needs someone who "takes reproductive health seriously" and will "fight like hell" for voting rights.
Competitive runoffs for attorney general and lieutenant governor also were on Tuesday's ballot.
Secretary of State Wes Allen and former Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl are battling for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor. The winner will face Democrat Phillip Ensler in November.
For attorney general, Katherine Robertson, who is chief counsel to the current attorney general, defeated former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Jay Mitchell for the Republican nomination. She will face Democrat Jeff McLaughlin in November.
Andrew Sneed defeated Candice Duvieilh in a runoff for the Democratic nomination for the 5th Congressional District. Sneed will face Republican Rep. Dale Strong, who was first elected in 2022.
Alabama will hold a new round of congressional primaries in August after winning permission from the U.S. Supreme Court to switch to a different congressional map favoring Republicans for the midterms.
The state is holding special primaries to decide nominations in the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th congressional districts. The new map could give Republicans an opportunity to recapture the 2nd Congressional District in November, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures. It could be important nationally in the battle for control of the narrowly divided chamber.
Alabama is one of several Southern states that quickly redrew their U.S. House maps and eliminated districts held by Black Democrats following a Supreme Court decision that severely weakened the Voting Rights Act.
Dakarai Larriett, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, participates in a candidates forum, April 7, 2026, at Spanish Fort City Hall in Spanish Fort, Ala. (John Sharp/AL.com via AP)
Signage is displayed at Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Jared Hudson's runoff election night watch party, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Barry Moore greets guest at his watch party at the Rawls Hotel, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Enterprise, Ala (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
FILE - This combination of photos shows Republican candidates for U.S. Senate Jared Hudson, left, on May 7, 2026, in Enterprise, Ala., and Rep. Barry Moore, right, on April 17, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo, File)
