Sasaki can't escape fifth as Dodgers drop opener to White Sox

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) reacts after Chicago White Sox designated hitter Andrew Benintendi (23) hits a home run during the first inning at Rate Field. CHICAGO — For four innings Friday night, it looked like Roki Sasaki was navigating another outing without his sharpest stuff.

>Then everything unraveled.

>A disastrous fifth inning turned a one-run Dodgers lead into an ugly 8-2 defeat against the White Sox in the series opener at Rate Field, snapping what had been another steady performance from the right-hander before Chicago's lineup broke through in a big way.

>The Dodgers entered the fifth inning leading 2-1 and appeared positioned to open the weekend series on a positive note. Instead, the White Sox sent 11 batters to the plate, scored seven runs, and handed the Dodgers a loss that felt far more lopsided than the score suggested through the first four innings.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) delivers a pitch during the first inning aganist the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Matt Marton-Imagn Images

class="photoCaption">Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) delivers a pitch during the first inning aganist the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field.

Sasaki's night began with an early blemish when Andrew Benintendi launched a solo home run in the first inning. After that, however, Sasaki settled in nicely. He retired hitters efficiently and worked around inconsistent command of his secondary pitches, keeping the Dodgers in front thanks to an early offensive contribution from Santiago Espinal.

>Espinal had a two-run single in the second, scoring Miguel Rojas and Kyle Tucker.

>But the fifth inning exposed the fine line Sasaki had been walking all evening. The trouble started with a leadoff walk. Three consecutive White Sox hits followed, and former Dodger Miguel Vargas delivered the biggest blow of the inning when he ripped an RBI double to left-center field, giving Chicago a 3-2 lead.

>The inning continued to spiral from there.

>With the bases loaded, Braden Montgomery drew a walk to force home another run and extend the White Sox lead to 4-2. That marked the end of Sasaki's evening after 91 pitches.

>For the first time in eight starts, Sasaki failed to complete five innings. His final line reflected the damage:

>4.1 innings pitched, 7 hits, 7 earned runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, 91 pitches

>The seven earned runs were a career high for the, whose command never fully cooperated despite managing to limit the damage through the first four innings.

>Dave Roberts turned to Blake Treinen in hopes of containing the rally, but Chicago kept the pressure on.

>Chase Meidroth greeted Treinen with a softly-hit two-run single that scored Colson Montgomery and Vargas, stretching the White Sox lead to 6-2. The contact wasn't loud, just 67.8 mph off the bat, but it found enough grass to further bury the Dodgers.

Chicago White Sox center fielder Tristan Peters (29) hits a two RBI triple during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rate Field. Matt Marton-Imagn Images

class="photoCaption">Chicago White Sox center fielder Tristan Peters (29) hits a two RBI triple during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rate Field.

Moments later, Tristan Peters delivered the knockout punch with a two-run triple, pushing the advantage to 8-2.

>That would be all the scoring either team managed the rest of the night.

>Offensively, the Dodgers generated little beyond one productive inning.

>With Shohei Ohtani out of the lineup after exiting Thursday's game in Pittsburgh because of knee inflammation, opportunities were limited throughout the evening. The Dodgers capitalized in the second inning when Espinal lined a two-run single to give the Dodgers an early 2-1 advantage.

Santiago for the lead!!! #Dodgers Get closer to the action with SNLA+, with the MLB app. 🔗: https://t.co/3Pk48S45KSpic.twitter.com/R3JDQEiTbL

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 13, 2026At the time, it looked like it might be enough support for Sasaki.

>Instead, those two runs represented the entirety of the Dodgers' offense.

>The Dodgers were held scoreless over its final seven innings and never mounted a serious threat after Chicago's fifth-inning eruption.

>The loss serves as a frustrating reminder that even during a strong stretch, the Dodgers' pitching staff remains vulnerable when command disappears. Sasaki had survived without his best secondary pitches for much of the night, but the White Sox finally made him pay when traffic began to accumulate.

>Now the Dodgers will try to quickly turn the page.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) is seen in the dugout during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Matt Marton-Imagn Images

class="photoCaption">Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) is seen in the dugout during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field.

They'll hand the ball to Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday as they look to even the series, while also monitoring Ohtani's status. The superstar remains day-to-day, and his availability could depend on how his knee responds after the inflammation that forced his early exit Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

>For one night, though, the story belonged to the fifth inning, seven White Sox runs, a career-worst outing for Sasaki, and a Dodgers loss that slipped away in a matter of minutes.