TOKYO: When Roki Sasaki makes his Los Angeles Dodgers debut next week, the pitcher will dedicate it to those who supported him after his father and grandparents were killed in Japan’s 2011 tsunami. Sasaki joined the World Series champion Dodgers in January and he is set to play against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday as the two teams open the new Major League Baseball season at the Tokyo Dome with a two-game series.

“Even when things haven’t been going smoothly in my career, those people have supported me with the same passion and energy,” Sasaki said on Sunday in Tokyo. “I want to repay them with my performance.” The 23-year-old’s debut comes 14 years after his hometown of Rikuzentakata was virtually wiped off the map when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake sent huge waves barrelling towards Japan’s coast.

Sasaki’s house was washed away and both of his paternal grandparents and his father, Kota, were killed. Sasaki went on to become one of Japanese baseball’s best young talents and news that he would leave for MLB sparked a bidding frenzy around the league.

Now Sasaki, who is set to take the mound for Game 2 of the series against the Cubs, will dedicate his Dodgers debut to the people who have helped him along the way. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that he would let the pitcher deal with the occasion on his own terms.

“I think that Roki understands how important this moment is for him, his family, the Japanese people,” said Roberts. “I don’t want to add to the pressure. Sometimes I just like to let it play out and that’s what I’m going to do.” Sasaki is no stranger to the Tokyo Dome and was part of the Japan team that played there on the way to winning the World Baseball Classic in 2023. That included playing as Japan’s starting pitcher on the 12-year anniversary of the disaster that upended his life.

Familiar surroundings

Sasaki said he was looking forward to playing at the Tokyo Dome again and wants “to make the most of it and really enjoy the experience”. “Playing in MLB is something that I’ve been looking forward to since I was in school, so to be able to make my debut in the Tokyo Dome is something that my high school self would be very surprised at,” he said.

The Dodgers have played two warm-up games against Japanese teams since arriving in Tokyo. Slugger Shohei Ohtani has been the centre of attention, with thousands of fans paying just to watch the Japanese superstar practice. Sasaki had a front-row seat when Ohtani hit a monster home run in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday. The games have been played in “a great atmosphere” so far, Sasaki said.

Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani thrilled Tokyo baseball fans again on Sunday despite a brief hitless performance from the Japanese superstar as his Los Angeles Dodgers lost their second exhibition game. Ohtani is in the Japanese capital with the World Series champion Dodgers to open the Major League Baseball season with two games against the Chicago Cubs next week.

The 30-year-old electrified the sold-out Tokyo Dome with a home run on Saturday as the Dodgers beat Japan’s Yomiuri Giants in their first warm-up game. But he could not repeat the trick against the Hanshin Tigers a day later, striking out in his first at-bat before being taken out of the game after two hitless trips to the plate. The Tigers beat the Dodgers 3-0.

Yuko Nakajo, one of many among the 40,000 fans in the stadium wearing a Dodgers jersey with Ohtani’s name and number 17 on the back, told AFP she was still glad she came. “I don’t think he’s showing his true form yet,” the 43-year-old said. “Ohtani is the pride of Japan. Everyone in my family supports him, all three generations.”

Ohtani stepped up to the plate to open the game but soon sat back down after being struck out by Tigers starting pitcher Hiroto Saiki. He failed to get a hit in his second at-bat and did not appear again as Hunter Feduccia came in to replace him. – AFP