LOS ANGELES — Roki Sasaki had a rough go in his U.S. debut, getting pulled early in front of the home crowd. His sad face and teary eyes in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dugout was shown on a Japanese TV feed, triggering reaction on social media and around baseball, not all of it flattering.

It’s hard to blame Sasaki for feeling frustrated after an ugly Dodger Stadium debut. The much-hyped pitcher lasted only five outs on Saturday night, walking four and allowing two of the Tigers’ three runs. Sasaki threw 32 strikes against 29 balls and averaged 96.1 mph on his four-seam fastball.

Roki Sasaki did not make it out of the second inning during his United States debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday afternoon and appeared to cry