Dodgers might have found a postseason closer in Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Just in time to make a run at a second consecutive World Series title, the Los Angeles Dodgers might have found their closer.

The Dodgers already knew what they had in Japanese ace Shohei Ohtani. Los Angeles turned to rookie countryman Roki Sasaki to fill the role of shutdown reliever.

A little slice of playoff history was a perfect way to win Game 1 of the NL Division Series.

Ohtani struck out nine over six innings Saturday night and Sasaki worked a scoreless ninth in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, making them the first Japanese-born starter and reliever to earn a win and a save in the same postseason game.

The 23-year-old Sasaki pitched in only 10 games this season — eight starts — because of a right shoulder impingement that cost him a chunk of time on the injured list.

With a playoff bullpen that already includes starters Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw, the heralded Sasaki has deftly made the switch to a relief role.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been willing to let it fly with Sasaki early in these playoffs. The right-hander topped 100 mph with two strikeouts in one blazing inning to help Los Angeles close out the Reds in the Wild Card Series.

He did allow a runner to reach third base in the ninth inning Saturday but retired Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott on a foul popup to seal the win.

Not bad for a new reliever.

“The difficulty of pitching in relief is, I’m sure in the regular season, just the way that I’m warming up, it takes a while to warm up,” Sasaki said ahead of Game 1. “In a playoff format, I think I’m able to do that because I do have the stamina as a starting pitcher. But over the course of a longer season, I don’t think it’s a sustainable way for me to prepare to pitch each postseason game as a reliever.”

The Dodgers went without a designated closer during the regular season.

So they're giving an October tryout to Sasaki, who signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January, receiving a $6.5 million signing bonus because he was under age 25 and subject to international signing bonus pool rules. Sasaki spent the last four seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan.

Expectations were high for a pitcher who’s been a dominant force at every other stop in his fast-rising career. But the shoulder injury slowed him down and he didn't come off the 60-day injured list until Sept. 24. He made his first career relief appearance against Arizona.

The Dodgers knew it would take time to build trust with Sasaki before he became a legitimate option in the ninth.

“It takes time to build a relationship. It takes time to create that trust,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Saturday. “And then you compound that with some shoulder soreness, and I think all of it kind of led to this process where we ended up in a really good spot. But it takes some time.”

It seems there could be more save opportunities to come as the Dodgers try to repeat as World Series champions.

“The biggest and most important thing was getting him back feeling right. Once that happened, then it was, OK, let’s attack the delivery and try to get that back in place,” Friedman said. “It took a little while, but I think once we saw that click is where it was like, OK, this is a very viable option to be a really talented pitcher who can help us get really important outs.”

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Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith, left, and Roki Sasaki celebrate after the Dodgers won Game 1 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández, left, and Roki Sasaki celebrate after the Dodgers won Game 1 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Roki Sasaki pitches during the ninth inning in Game 1 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Roki Sasaki pitches during the ninth inning in Game 1 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki reacts after the Dodgers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of baseball's National League Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Steve Smith took a brilliant reflex catch to swing momentum just before Ben Stokes’ defiant half-century ended in a rush of England wickets Sunday, then he hit the winning runs in the second cricket test to give Australia a 2-0 Ashes lead.

Day 4 was a tale of two captains.

Set a target of 65 for victory after England was bowled out for 241 in the second innings, Australia raced to an eight-wicket win in 10 overs either side of a 20-minute interval as serious storms brewed to the southwest.

Jofra Archer was bowling around 150 kph (93 mph) under the lights and it only fired up Smith.

There were some theatrics involving the Australia captain and England's strike pace bowler, with Smith telling Archer to bowl faster after ducking a bouncer. He then ramped him for a boundary and hit the next ball for a six to bring up 1,000 test runs at the Gabba.

With Australia at 63-2 and needing just two runs to win, Smith hit a six to finish it and finished unbeaten on 23 from nine deliveries. Jake Weatherald was not out on 17.

Gus Atkinson took the wickets of Travis Head (22) and Marnus Labuschagne (3) as Australia chased quick runs.

England has been criticized for its bowling attack failing to hit the right lengths consistently, for its dropped catches and for its top-order again throwing away wickets chasing fast and furious runs.

But at least there was some encouragement for a few hours on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the Gabba, where Stokes reverted to some old-school test cricket and gave England a lead, albeit a small one.

England skipper Stokes curbed his attacking instincts, dispensing with Bazball and pragmatically setting about reviving England’s Ashes prospects.

England had resumed Sunday at 134-6, and took an hour and 36 minutes — 18.2 overs — to erase the first-innings deficit.

The Australian attack bowled a tight line and length and mixed it up with some short-pitch deliveries in an attempt to entice the usually aggressive England batters to have a go.

Stokes and Will Jacks (41) resisted the temptation for the entire first session, knowing that a wicket would expose the tailenders. It was a completely different approach to England’s usual attack-at-all costs mentality that has attracted wide criticism in the first two Ashes tests so far.

The seventh-wicket pair put on a 96-run stand to get England to the brink of the night session, but that ended when Smith — Australia's stand-in captain — took a stunning one-hander diving to his left at slip off Michael Neser's bowling to dismiss Jacks.

That was the momentum changer. The slide then happened quickly, with England losing four wickets for 17 runs to be all out for 241 in its second innings and Neser finishing with a five-wicket haul.

Stokes took a single to reach his 50 from 148 balls, the second-slowest half-century of his career. It was only four balls behind the 152 he took to make 50 at Headingley in 2019, where he scored an unbeaten 135 to guide England to a stunning, unexpected, one-wicket Ashes victory.

This time, he didn’t go on. The 34-year-old was caught behind by wicketkeeper Alex Carey standing up to the wickets to Neser.

Stokes twirled his bat in the air in disbelief and smacked his helmet as he strode back to the pavilion.

At that stage, England was 227-8. Brendan Doggett dismissed Atkinson to make it 231-9, with Smith taking a regulation catch this time. Neser (5-42) and Smith combined to remove Brydon Carse (7) to end the innings.

Australia won the series-opening test on Day 2 of the scheduled five. At least the second test went late into Day 4.

The third test starts Dec. 17 at the Adelaide Oval with England needing a win to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes. The fourth test starts Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney will host the fifth test from Jan. 4.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australia's Josh Inglis, left, and Australia's captain Steve Smith celebrate the wicket of England's Gus Atkinson during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Michael Neser, second left, celebrates with teammates the wicket of England's Will Jacks during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's captain Ben Stokes lies down after being hit by the ball during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Michael Neser shows the ball after getting five wickets during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's captain Ben Stokes throws bat after loosing his wicket during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's captain Ben Stokes plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's Will Jacks plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's captain Ben Stokes reacts in the hot condition during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's captain Ben Stokes avoids a bouncer during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)