More importantly, as Betts mentioned, Sasaki looks far more comfortable on the mound and is growing into the highly touted pitcher that had every organization foaming at the mouth during the offseason.

As afternoon turned into evening and the rain kept coming down, Roki Sasaki ate. He relaxed. And then he waited. The ominous weather conditions over Truist Park delayed the Los Angeles Dodgers rookie’s night so much that his first pitch wasn’t thrown until 10:33 p.

With Saturday's victory, the Dodgers are now 23-10 on the season, putting them in first place in the National League West with a 1 ½ game advantage over the San Diego Padres (-500 to win the division, per BetMGM ). Los Angeles' plus-43 run differential is the third highest in the NL, trailing only the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs.