Ohtani recorded a win in his first career postseason start as a pitcher, striking out nine Phillies hitters and allowing three runs in six innings. Sasaki, who has excelled since transitioning to the bullpen in September, recorded the save. In the process, Ohtani and Sasaki became the first Japanese-born starter/reliever combo to earn both the win and save in the same postseason game.
There’s only been one other postseason instance of a duo of Japanese-born pitchers earning a win and save in the same game. Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara did it for the Red Sox in Game 6 of the 2013 ALCS vs. the Tigers. Tazawa, however, recorded his win as a reliever and only recorded one out in the process, compared to the six innings Ohtani pitched on Saturday.
Ohtani and Sasaki (as well as Yoshinobu Yamamoto) are inextricably linked given their status as Japanese-born players who took their talents from Japan to the Dodgers. The fact that they’ve already teamed up for this kind of history only adds to their legacy both for the Dodgers and Japan.
