As a 36-year old rookie from Japan who had only gone 87-80 over 13 seasons in the Central League, Takashi Saito inspired very little excitement when he joined the Dodgers. Now he's one of the best-kept secrets in all of sports.

The right-handed closing pitcher raised a few eyebrows in 2006 when his 24 saves in 26 opportunities earned him an unexpected eighth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year race. (First place went to the  sublime young shortstop Hanley Ramirez.) Still, the pitcher remained something of a mystery to all but the most ardent fans in the West. After all, showtime for Saito often comes around midnight EST.

It doesn't help Saito's fame that his way of saving games is singularly understated. Saito throws fastballs in the low 90-mph range, which is unremarkable for a closer. He lacks the fearsome theatricality of his Dodger predecessor Eric Gange.

But Saito's fastball sinks with a frustrating unpredictability. His road performance Thursday night against slugger Ryan Howard showed exactly how flummoxing he can be. With the Phillies leading 5-2, Howard led off the ninth and appeared utterly helpless in trying to track the release point of Saito's pitches. The sophomore hurler made quick work of the heart of Philadelphia's order, picking up his  34th save and lowering his earned run average to 1.44. In his last 10 games, Saito has a .96 ERA.