After continuing to roll to open the series against the Phillies yesterday, the Dodgers played another close one with them today. Roki Sasaki continued to show progress, but Tanner Scott finally blew a game late, and the Dodgers couldn’t mount a comeback in a 4-3 loss.
======
Roki Sasaki was looking to continue his momentum in the month of May, and as has been a trend, he did labor a bit in the 1st. He gave up just a two-out walk, but threw 21 pitches.
Roki gets Schwarber after a long at-bat with a fastball at 100 and split at 93 tunneled off each other. pic.twitter.com/iMmOn7urN7
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 31, 2026
In the 2nd, Alec Bohm started the scoring by hitting a 98 MPH fastball at the top of the zone out to center for a 1-0 Phillies lead.
BADA-BING BADA-BOHM pic.twitter.com/3pYthCM1VQ
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 31, 2026
Roki then rebounded to retire the next three, which started a streak of 13 in a row retired. It got to the point Dave Roberts was just cutting his nails.
Unfortunately, things escalated quickly with one down in the 6th, as a check-swing error/single was followed by another single to put a pair on with the heart of the order coming up.
Due to the lefties, Dave Roberts turned to Alex Vesia for that matchup, and he started ominously with a walk to load things up, but then got a strikeout and a groundout to get Roki, the Dodgers, and himself out of that jam.
Alex and Roki. ? pic.twitter.com/0rIQHjXbRF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 31, 2026
Vesia and Roki in the dugout. pic.twitter.com/SG5pESGktv
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 31, 2026
Most promising? Roki set a career-high in whiffs on the four-seam fastball with eight.
Roki Sasaki 100 MPH by you. pic.twitter.com/aafkRIqGNW
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 31, 2026
Despite the early removal, Roki was stellar and dominant: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 84 Pitches.
——
For the Phillies it was Jesus Luzardo, who has had trouble with men on base, but not so much against the Dodgers for the most part. He worked around a pair of two-out singles in the 1st, but the Dodgers got a run back in the 2nd. Will Smith led off with a single, Miguel Rojas drew a walk, and Alex Call grounded a ball up the middle to tie things up and leave a pair on with nobody out.
Alex Call always shows up (not making the easy pun). pic.twitter.com/gz2iYrpR88
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 31, 2026
The Dodgers then killed their own rally as Santiago Espinal bunted the wrong direction for an out at third, and then they made the final two outs without the runners moving.
They got unlucky in the 3rd, as a one-out double by Mookie Betts looked to be cashed in by Kyle Tucker, but Adolis Garcia laid out for a robbery and Betts ended up stranded as well.
Goodness García ? pic.twitter.com/jSu5vVP3gc
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 31, 2026
The Dodgers got some help in the 4th to take the lead, as a one-out bloop from Call fell in for a double after a diving attempt from Justin Crawford, and he got to third after Adolis dropped the ball in right. That proved huge as Espinal came up and hit a sac fly to center for the 2-1 Dodgers lead.
Alex Call’s bloop double and taking third on an error leads to a Santiago Espinal sac fly for the lead. The kick celebration is now lower as well, thank god. pic.twitter.com/QoL8gsg4ab
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 31, 2026
They left a one-out single later in the 4th and went down quietly in the 5th, but after a lead-off walk in the 6th and a groundout to move it to second, that was all for Luzardo. Jose Alvarado entered and got the last two outs despite a passed ball between.
For the 7th, it was Orion Kerkering‘s return, and he allowed a one-out double to Pages to start something. With two down, Mookie singled to right and Pages barely scored after review to make it 3-1.
After Pages doubles, Mookie singles to score him as an insurance run, and it’s ruled safe on review. I guess they can’t review him not touching the plate. pic.twitter.com/4dfxvAqDF4
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 31, 2026
from the rulebook pic.twitter.com/jkHsDDUpBr
— Panterbell (@Panterbell4) May 31, 2026
That was all for the insurance … they needed more.
——
Continuing for the Dodgers pen protecting a tiny lead, it was Kyle Hurt in the 7th, who got a 1-2-3 frame thanks to a sparkling defensive play from Espinal at third.
Not sure if Espinal was in better position for this, but what a play. pic.twitter.com/roD1VZ5dt9
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 31, 2026
Tanner Scott hadn’t given up a run since April 24, but that changed in the 8th. He gave up a lead-off single, but two outs later the runner was only at second. He then got ahead of Bryce Harper 1-2, but made a mistake down in the zone that was lined to right for a single to plate the run and make it 3-2.
Bring us back Bryce! pic.twitter.com/ZjS7BKHl8r
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 31, 2026
Still not a huge problem, but the killer blow came when he similarly got ahead 1-2 against Edmundo Sosa and then missed with a fastball in the zone for a two-run shot to left to make it 4-3 Phillies before the inning ended.
Y’ALL UP?! pic.twitter.com/ZLr1iKitqq
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 31, 2026
Tanner did what he hadn’t for most of the year but did a lot last year.
Blake Treinen completed things for the pen in the 9th with a clean frame.
Now trying to make a comeback, the Dodgers went down in order against Brad Keller in the 8th and Jhoan Duran in the 9th. Welp.
Bad loss, but it wasn’t always gonna be his smooth with the pen.
——
Part of Roki’s development has been pace as well.
Dave told Roki to watch Gausman and work at a better pace as well. pic.twitter.com/aouH5ebB8K
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 31, 2026
======
37-21, which is still very good, actually.
The series concludes tomorrow with an early Sunday game at 10:10 AM HT/1:10 PM PT/4:10 PM ET. It’ll be Yoshinobu Yamamoto facing off against Andrew Painter.