Roki Sasaki struggles with command early, Dodgers

SAN DIEGO — The home run that Roki Sasaki gave up to San Diego’s Ty France was more dramatic than the 2 walks he issued to open the inning. But it was the free passes that actually damage him.

In the Dodgers’ 7-1 loss to the Padres on Friday, Sasaki was out of the sport before he might report an out in the fifth inning. He gave up only three hits but issued 5 walks, tying his season high, and hit a batter.

“I actually felt different than I ever felt before, mechanically,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo, noting that his decrease physique felt a little off. “So I need to go over it and see what was really happening.”

Sasaki efficiently pitched around visitors for a lot of his outing, other than the three-run homer to France in the second inning. But the inefficiency despatched his pitch depend past 80 before he exited with runners on first and second in the fifth.

“I’m not going to have it every time out, so that’s something I have to improve,” Sasaki said. “And also the game plan. I was able to execute some of the pitches, but some of the pitches I couldn’t, so that’s something I have to go through before next start.”

Earlier this month, when Sasaki held the Angels scoreless through seven two-hit innings, it appeared as if he’d had a breakthrough. But in three begins since, including a seven-run dud against the Chicago White Sox two weeks in the past, he has yet to pitch through the sixth inning.

“I am a little surprised, because there was such good momentum going on,” supervisor Dave Roberts said. “Hopefully we can get him back to throwing the way he did in May.”

Sasaki’s command points Friday confirmed up nearly immediately. After hanging out Padres leadoff hitter Fernando Tatis Jr., Sasaki walked Samad Taylor on 10 pitches. But Sasaki bounced back by inducing a double play.

The next inning, there can be no such escape. Sasaki walked both Manny Machado, whom he also battled for 10 pitches, and Gavin Sheets to open the body. Then Xander Bogaerts’ sharp line drive to middle discipline discovered leather-based.

France’s long fly ball to left discipline, however, discovered the seats.

Sasaki’s only clean inning, the third, was made attainable by catcher Dalton Rushing’s profitable problem of a called ball 4 against Tatís, flipping a stroll into a strikeout.

“I know that there’s confidence in there,” Roberts said. “But when you feel good and you don’t feel good mechanically and can’t execute pitches, then the results are walks, and 1-2 [count] homers, and things like that. But I do think that we can kind of tackle the mechanical things that he’s probably looking for right now.”

The Padres piled on in the eighth inning against reliever Jonathan Hernandez, as the sold-out crowd chanted “Beat L.A.!”

Mookie Betts hit a home run off former teammate Walker Buehler for his second homer in as many video games. Betts appears to have come out of his offensive funk, coming into Friday with a 1.061 on-base-plus-slugging share over the earlier 11 video games.

Buehler earned the win, delivering 5 strikeouts in 5⅓ innings.

“[Buehler] is reinventing himself,” Roberts said. “He’s throwing the kitchen sink at you. Cutter, slider, changeup, two-seamers. He doesn’t just try to bully you, and he’s finding ways to just get guys out. So yeah, he’s gonna still go up there and compete.”

The Dodgers went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring place and squandered a bases-loaded alternative with one out in the sixth inning after chasing Buehler. Max Muncy popped out and Kyle Tucker, back in the lineup after exiting Monday’s recreation because of back spasms, flied out.

The Dodgers have constructed such a big lead in the division that the loss barely made a dent. The Padres, in second place, path by eight video games.