Sasaki encouraged after latest start: 'Felt I had something'

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki came away from his start against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday feeling positive.

"I felt I had something," Sasaki said postgame through an interpreter, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Sasaki allowed just one earned run over four innings pitched in the Dodgers' 3-1 win at Citizens Bank Park.

"Last time around, I felt like I wanted to throw strikes, but I couldn’t," he added. "I really worked on my mechanics since that game and really felt like I was able to do that today."

Sasaki struggled in his previous outing against the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium on March 29, walking four batters while failing to make it through the second inning.

The 23-year-old was visibly emotional after being removed from that game and admitted to feeling nervous ahead of Saturday's start.

"I did go through the week feeling a little anxious," Sasaki said. "I was searching for something that I could feel confident about."

Sasaki joined the defending-champion Dodgers this offseason as an amateur international free agent to much fanfare, immediately becoming one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory.

He owns a 4.15 ERA and a 2.08 WHIP through three MLB starts.