Roki Sasaki surprises LA fans in debut but another Dodgers problem arises

Dodgers fans were holding their breath when Roki Sasaki took the mound against the Guardians on Monday night for his first start of the season.

Most of us were expecting the worst. None of Sasaki's spring training starts had instilled any confidence, and he finally admitted after he gave up five runs on no hits, two hit batters, and six walks his late time out in Glendale that he would be "fine" with a demotion to the minor leagues to start the season.

But he actually did ... pretty well?

He got his first strikeout quickly on Steven Kwan and would rack up three more before he was pulled after the fourth. He gave up a couple of extra-base hits, including an RBI double to Kwan, and he gave up two walks — but for the most part, he looked worlds better than he did just last week.

Tanner Scott pitched a clean fifth inning as a bridge between Sasaki and long reliever Justin Wrobleski. The Dodgers offense had nothing going against Cleveland starter Parker Messick, but Sasaki had done good enough work to limit damage. A one-run deficit should've been nothing for the Dodgers' All-Star lineup.

Wrobleski pitched a clean sixth but ran into trouble immediately in the seventh. He gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases before getting to two outs. Maybe he'd actually be able to get out of the inning unscathed.

Nope. A bases loaded walk allowed the Guardians' second run to score, and then a Daniel Schneeman double scored two more.

Justin Wrobleski didn't exactly look like sixth starter material in long relief outing for Dodgers

Wrobleski got through the rest of the game without allowing another baserunner to reach, but his command remained spotty throughout his outing, and the Dodgers' offense couldn't make up the now four-run deficit despite finally showing some signs of life in the bottom of the ninth and scoring two.

It was only one appearance, sure, but Wrobleski was a guy The Athletic was hyping up in their preseason predictions as a pitcher who could have a better season than Blake Snell.

That was always laughable. Wrobleski was spotty in longer outings last season and was nudged into a more traditional relief role by late August. There is talent — he has some great swing-and-miss stuff when he's right — but he's never looked like an above-average major league starter.

That's probably why he was never really in the conversation to take a bonafide rotation role in Snell's absence, and is instead piggybacking behind Sasaki or Shohei Ohtani, whose pitch count is likely to be tightly controlled.

This might be a make-or-break season for Wrobleski's future with the Dodgers, and he's not off to a great start.