LOS ANGELES — It takes just four words on repeat and a thumping beat to electrify Dodger Stadium.
Báilalo, Rocky. Suéltale, Rocky. Dance, Rocky. Let loose, Rocky.
It wasn’t long ago that the ninth inning was a time of apprehension for the Dodgers, who experienced the extremes of bullpen volatility this year. They were walked off in four of their last seven regular-season losses, and the other three were charged to relievers who gave up the lead in the eighth inning or later.
Sasaki has changed that, converting three saves and allowing only one run in eight innings as the unlikely postseason closer. No longer is there an air of malaise as the bullpen gate opens ahead of the ninth. As “Bailalo Rocky” blares over the speakers, the Dodgers’ faithful is swept up by the music, rife with anticipation to see Sasaki lock down a win.
The energy is so contagious that it spreads to those in the Dodgers’ dugout, who can typically be seen pounding the rail in time with the beat as Sasaki warms up on the mound.
As many have asked where this resurgent version of Sasaki came from, seemingly out of nowhere, still others have been curious about why he chose his entrance song.
“That was actually MiggyRo’s idea,” Sasaki said in Japanese on Thursday. “Iâ€m really happy the fans are enjoying it.”
An electric entrance song is not the only thing Miguel Rojas has given Sasaki. The veteran infielder also gave up his No. 11 for the rookie when Sasaki chose to sign with the Dodgers this past offseason, hoping it would help him feel comfortable in his first year in the big leagues.
Back in February, the remix of “Bailalo Rocky” by Dj Roderick and Dj Jose Gonzalez was released. Rojas would play it around Sasaki during Spring Training, urging him to use the song as his entrance music.
It took a couple of months, but Sasaki actually did warm up to it once while he was still in the rotation. It was April 26, which ended up being his last home start before he sustained the impingement in his right shoulder that kept him out of big league action for more than four months.
The Dodgers’ dugout loved it, just as they do nowadays. But it felt like a jarring choice at the time, a little incongruous with the version of Sasaki who was working with diminished velocity, command and confidence.
It much better suits the version of Sasaki who returned from injury and shifted seamlessly into a new relief role in late September.
“It’s been special,” Rojas. “I feel like it just fits him really well.”
Besides the fact that “Rocky” sounds like “Roki,” the song matches the attitude that Sasaki brings to the mound. With his four-seamer blazing and his splitter dancing, he all but dares opposing batters to hit his best stuff (and most of the time, they can’t).
It’s a far cry from how Sasaki looked early on, when he showed flashes of elite stuff but often pitched as if he were simply trying to find his footing. He didn’t make it out of the second inning in his first home start and was shown looking visibly emotional in the dugout afterward.
Sasaki is in command now, in multiple senses. He has a hold over those in the crowd, who often keep the energy going when his music dies down by chanting his name.
“I hadnâ€t been able to pitch well at Dodger Stadium before, so honestly, I didnâ€t have the best memories of it,” Sasaki said. “But now that Iâ€m getting results as a reliever, the view from the mound looks completely different.”
Sasaki’s move to the bullpen is not permanent, so as the Dodgers vie for four more wins to defend their World Series title, we may be seeing the last of him as a closer for the time being.
It’s been a brief stint in relief for Sasaki, but his impact has been such that Rojas wants to see even more hype to go along with “Bailalo Rocky.”
“I think he deserves a video and the lights go down and all that stuff,” Rojas said. “I think that’s the next step for him.”
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