The Dodgers and Yankees started the second half with a good one, or at least a close one. Gerrit Cole shut the Dodgers down early, but he made one costly mistake to Max Muncy, and Roki Sasaki had arguably his most promising start as a Dodger. He showcased ace-level stuff, only giving up a run thanks to a pair of errors. The defense redeemed itself late to keep a close lead on a dramatic play at the plate, which helped secure a 2-1 victory.
Great times.
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In a promising start, Roki Sasaki came out of the All-Star break looking like a man on a mission, setting career highs in fastball velocity right out of the gate.
Evidence.
You get away with missing location more when you throw three consecutive fastballs at 101-102-102. https://t.co/k5Oz1q4BXr pic.twitter.com/1T7YhQ2mRI
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 17, 2026
The confidence in his renewed stuff was palpable, and had another impressive start, going 1-2-3 in the 1st on just 13 pitches and punctuating it with a strikeout.
Roki Sasaki with another great start to his start, going 1-2-3 with a strikeout on 13 pitches.
We shall see what comes now. pic.twitter.com/Z0ghOgfLxe
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 17, 2026
He gave up just a two-out single in the 2nd, then worked around a lead-off double and one-out walk in the 3rd with a strikeout on a nasty split and then a double play.
This version of the splitter is nasty. pic.twitter.com/EoLvgxKrTB
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 18, 2026
ドジャース 佐々木朗希
ダブルプレー！3回のピンチを凌ぐ！ラッシングとグータッチ！3回無失点の好投！#Dodgers Sasaki Roki ?:ⓒSportsNetLA pic.twitter.com/Uz7vbFxppz
— 【MLB速報】放送地区【大谷速報】 (@MLB_comment) July 18, 2026
It seemed like he’d continue rolling in the 4th when he began with back-to-back strikeouts, but after getting ahead of Jasson Dominguez with two strikes, he worked the count full and then found a gap in right-center. Andy Pages tried to rush the throw back in but dropped the ball on the track for error to advance the runner to third, and that immediately cost them when Dalton Rushing just missed a splitter for a passed ball.
Orel Hershiser saying you really have to trust your catcher now and then Dalton Rushing with a pass ball immediately for the game’s first run. pic.twitter.com/YeS1HTwBcZ
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 18, 2026
1-0 Yankees, and Rushing was having trouble catching that pitch all game. Those two errors were made worse when a pop-up followed to end the threat.
Roki resumed pitching well in the 5th with a clean inning thanks to Pages redeeming himself in center.
Andy Pages goes into the gap to rob extra bases. pic.twitter.com/egxd4mNZX3
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 18, 2026
Roki then got two outs in the 6th, but gave up a one-out and two-out single that ended his night as he approached 100 pitches.
Arguably his best start as a Dodger: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 5 K, 94 Pitches.
Roki Sasaki’s five strikeouts, which for once doesn’t really tell the story of how impressive he looked. Ace-level stuff, honestly. pic.twitter.com/8KBkKE4fCk
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 18, 2026
He ended up with 21 pitches in the triple digits. Velo by inning: 100.7, 100.6, 99.9, 100.0, 99.7, 99.8.
Helping him keep that 0 ER up there was Jack Dreyer, who entered and notched a clutch strikeout to end the 6th. He also continued in the 7th, getting a clean frame.
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Unfortunately, the Dodgers had to face Gerrit Cole coming out of the break, and they got a vintage version of him.
After cruising through the first five batters of the game, the Dodgers managed a pair of two-out singles in the 2nd, but Cole responded with a strikeout to snuff that out. He then gave up just a two-out single in the 3rd before starting a streak of 10 retired in a row.
Things looked bleak at that point, but he walked Mookie Betts to start the 7th, and somehow convinced Aaron Boone to leave him in to face Max Muncy as he approached 100 pitches. Well, that backfired, as Muncy annihilated a ball and pimped the hell out of it for his 18th homer of the year to flip the game and make it 2-1 Dodgers.
Cole convinced Boone to face Muncy after he walked Betts to lead off the 7th, and Muncy hit a no-doubter to flip the game. pic.twitter.com/E4bLoVI5bF
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 18, 2026
The whole at-bat.
The whole game-winning homer sequence/at-bat from Max Muncy. pic.twitter.com/kOVzleTkKN
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 18, 2026
That was the end of Cole’s outing, and the Yankees pen took over by getting the next three. The Dodgers then got a lead-off double in the 8th, but wasted that chance, and also couldn’t capitalize on a one-out walk in the 9th.
Not an ideal day for them to say the least.
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Well, after Dreyer got through the 7th with the lead, it was Alex Vesia on for the 8th. He issued a one-out walk to Trent Grisham, and things looked bad when Ben Rice drilled a ball into the gap immediately after. Andy Pages played the ball well off the wall, but his throw faded a lot on Mookie Betts, which led to Grisham being sent home. Well, Mookie managed to adjust and make a great relay on the run, which was followed by a Dalton Rushing making a great tag across his body on Grisham for the out at home. Dodgers still lead.
On a double, Pages’ throw fades on Mookie, who goes to get it and make a great relay. Rushing redeems himself by making a great tag on a throw that’s way behind him. Dodgers still lead. Wow. pic.twitter.com/N1F7bjn7VB
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 18, 2026
After an intentional walk, Vesia got a flyout and the Dodgers were out of that mess.
Vesia gets Cody to flyout routinely, and the Dodgers somehow maintain a lead. pic.twitter.com/A3I0TX1wDR
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 18, 2026
That setup Tanner Scott in the 9th, who got a 1-2-3 frame. He continues to be up almost two ticks, sitting 98-99 MPH now and just chucking that fastball.
Scott is up almost two ticks in recent appearances, and you can tell he’s feeling it cause he’s just throwing that shit. pic.twitter.com/g3BNWc82pR
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 18, 2026
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Jose Caballero is a bit of a pitch clock troll and he had some issues with the home plate umpire.
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62-36 on the season and starting the second half right. Still the best record in baseball, obviously.
The two teams will be back at it tomorrow on FOX at 2:08 PM HT/5:08 PM PT/8:08 PM ET with Emmet Sheehan on the bump against Ryan Weathers.
