"Straight Talk" is a regular feature in which The Sporting Tribune's John E. Gibson offers a full translation of media availability with Dodgers Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. He will also help translate when Lakers star Rui Hachimura and L.A. Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida are asked questions in Japanese.
The job of interpreters in the heat of the moment is difficult without the ability to write down questions and answers and re-hear responses for proper context. That's where John comes in to help. John currently works as a Japanese-English interpreter and covered pro baseball in Japan for about 20 years. His experience as a sports reporter includes stints at The Orange County Register, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts, The Yomiuri Shimbun’s English newspaper in Tokyo and The Epoch Times.
LOS ANGELES – Roki Sasaki tosses 5.1 strong innings, holding the Phillies to a run on three hits and a walk, while fanning seven, but the Los Angeles Dodgers fall to visiting Philadelphia 4-3 on Saturday night. Sasaki, whose velocity ticks up on the speed gun, says he feels like himself on the mound.
Q: Roki, this offseason you added the slider, recently you’ve been adding the splitter to your forkball. How much more confident have you been in the usage of those pitches?
Sasaki: It depends on the batter, and I think it depends on the game. When I want to use it to work the count, it’s something I can use. So with that said, I think it has gotten better over the course of the season.
Q: Did tonight just kind of feel like a perfect example as to how your whole pitch mix has come together and how you’re able to execute them and be efficient?
Sasaki: Well, my fastball was good today – I had good velocity and was able to locate it and throw the pitch where it was called. So we were able to go deeper into counts on our terms.
Q: How did you get the fastball velocity back to where it previously has been?
Sasaki: Basically, I haven’t changed anything major that I’m doing since my previous outing. But I’m basically feeling fine physically, so I think that’s what it is.
Q: You were pretty emphatic when you first came to the United States about how to get the velocity back. What do you think has allowed that to finally sort of happen here on the mound tonight?
Sasaki: Well, I haven’t changed anything in recent days, but it’s just that the things I did in the offseason, in the spring – the things I did in the beginning and things I have noticed – have culminated in this. Combined with the minor adjustments, I think things are coming together.
Q: How important is it to perform the way you did in a game like this where runs were tough to come by, and how big a step is this for you?
Sasaki: Well, I think the way I pitched was good, and most importantly, my performance is improving, so at the very least, if I can maintain this, the calculations will change as to what I need to do. But I first need to maintain consistency in my performance. I might give up some hits, but I want to work together with the catcher and the pitching coach, and while still being myself, boost my performance and preparing myself to be able to throw the ball where the catcher calls for it.
Q: Were you surprised that the velocity jumped as much as it did or did you have a feeling that it was going to be better coming into the start?
Sasaki: Over the week, I made a little fine tuning and there were some improvements, so I had an idea that it might go up, but I didn’t think it would make this kind of jump.
Q: These five starts in May are the best stretch for a month in your major league career. How comfortable are you now on a major league mound and attacking major league hitters?
Sasaki: So, of course I mentioned this a minute ago, but it’s a culmination of things, and then within that, it’s things that I am starting to find that I need or noticed are lacking. And with that said, because my performance has certainly improved, it’s confirmation. So being able to be pretty consistent I think is a positive thing for me.
Q: Is this the most complete that you’ve felt, whether it’s been this year, just as a starter in your big league experience?
Sasaki: Well, I think it was the top performance in which I was most like myself. So not talking about whether it was good or bad, that performance was just me being myself.