LOS ANGELES DODGERS pitcher Roki Sasaki delivers during the first inning of a baseball earlier this season. Blue Crew defeated the New York Mets on Friday night as Sasaki struck out nine batters in seven innnings, yielding just three hits and one earned run in a 4-2 victory. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger).

By Pete Zarustica
Orange County Tribune

As National League batters are learning, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshi Yamamoto aren’t the only Japanese imports of the Los Angeles Dodgers capable of making them look silly at the plate.

On Friday night in New York, Roki Sasaki pitched a gem for the visiting Dodgers, as they defeated the Mets by 4-2. Sasaki (4-5) worked seven innings, yielding just three hits and one earned run. More impressive than that, he struck out seven batters while yielding just three hits and one earned run.

With the victory, the Blue Crew is now 66-38 and leads the National League West by 11 games. It was the team’s third straight win.

The Dodgers broke up a 1-1 deadlock wth one run in the top of the seventh and two more in the eighth. Kyle Tucker had a home run (his eighth of the season).

Freddie Freeman was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Ohtani was 2-for-4 with one run batted in.

On Saturday, the two teams will meet again, with Yoshi Yamamoto (10-6) making the start for the Dodgers.

Angels lose 7-6 in 10 innings to Giants

Late rallies by the Los Angeles Angels sent their game Friday night against the Giants in San Francisco into extra innings, but the home team had the latest, and last word.

Rafael Devers’ ground rule double drove in the deciding run in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Giants won a 7-6 victory over the visiting Halos.

Trailing 3-0 after four innings, the Angels caught up with three runs in the fourth, then scored two more in the eighth to knot the score at 6-all.

With the loss, the Angels are 41-63, still last in the AL West. The Giants are 43-50, good for fourth in the NL West.
They meet again Saturday with Ryan Johnson (2-4) starting for the Angels.