Walker Buehler outshines regressing Roki Sasaki in Padres’ win over Dodgers

SAN DIEGO –– It was a battle of Dodgers pitching phenoms at Petco Park on Friday night.

The former one, in Walker Buehler.

The current one, in Roki Sasaki.

In a 7-1 Padres win, there was no comparing their two performances.

While Sasaki took a major step backwards in his up-and-down sophomore season, walking five batters and giving up a three-run homer in a shaky four-plus-inning outing, Buehler tapped back into his dominant form of old for San Diego, cruising through 5 ⅓ innings of one-run ball to hand the Padres the opening game of this pivotal mid-season rivalry series.

That Buehler was ready for the moment was no surprise.

Before the game, manager Dave Roberts was only half-joking when he said the former Dodgers ace would “love nothing more than to shove it up our you-know-what.”

Sasaki’s struggles, however, represented a more foreboding development in a campaign suddenly headed back in the wrong direction.

He lacked command from the start, walking three of his first five hitters while grinding through long, foul-ball-extended at-bats. Then, after getting Ty France to an 0-2 count with two aboard in the second inning, he threw a low slider that France launched to left for a no-doubt three-run blast.

The Dodgers would trail the rest of the way, failing to solve Buehler before squandering a bases-loaded, one-out opportunity after he exited in the top of the sixth. The Padres didn’t even have to go to lockdown closer Mason Miller, either, not after their offense tagged Dodgers reliever Jonathan Hernández with four runs in the eighth to pull away.

For Buehler –– now on his third organization since getting the last out of the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series title –– the outing continued his recent turnaround, giving him a 3.81 ERA this season and a 1.71 mark since the start of June.

For Sasaki –– who has now allowed 13 runs in 14 innings over his last three starts –– the dud continued his recent regression, leaving him on Friday to be outshined by his current club’s former star.

What it means

The Dodgers’ division lead isn’t in danger. But, as they begin a seven-games-in-10-days stretch against the second-place Padres, it is worth monitoring.

With what remains the winningest record in the majors at 52-30, the Dodgers are still eight games up in the National League West on the Padres, who are 42-38. But the Padres have now won four games in a row, coming off an impressive sweep of the Braves, and are 11-7 since a woeful 1-10 rut over late May and early June.

Who’s hot

The Dodgers did lead briefly on Friday, courtesy of the hottest recent hitter in the lineup.

In the top of the second, Mookie Betts tagged Buehler with a solo home run on an elevated first-pitch fastball, continuing a torrid two-week stretch in which he has hit .375 with four home runs.

Nevertheless, even Betts eventually went quiet on a lackluster night from the Dodgers’ offense, hitting into two double-plays later in the game –– including one to end a two-on, one-out chance in the eighth.

Who’s not

Three weeks ago, Sasaki seemed to be on the ascent. He pitched seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in a June 5 masterpiece against the Angels. He had a 1.49 ERA with 29 strikeouts and only five walks over an extended four-start stretch. And, most importantly, he was finally pairing triple-digit fastball velocities with an expanded arsenal and consistent command.

Alas, he has wasted no time squandering all that momentum.

Though he still averaged nearly 98 mph with his fastball, and topped out at 100 mph yet again, he reverted back to the wild command that dogged him earlier this season, issuing six free bases when accounting for a hit batter in the fourth.

As a result, Sasaki’s season ERA is back up to 4.88, the highest it has been in a month.

And it’s fair to wonder if his uptick in form earlier this year –– which included another seven-inning gem against the Angels –– was more the result of poor opposition and good batted-ball luck than a true turning point in his ongoing development.