Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched for six innings without letting the opposing team score. Andy Pages, a rookie, hit a two-run homer during the second inning, contributing to a total of five runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0 on Wednesday night.
Yamamoto, who signed a $325 million, 12-year deal during the offseason, has been performing well in his debut season in Major League Baseball. Despite a tough start in his first outing in March, he has shown improvement over his last six games, now boasting a 2.91 ERA.
Reflecting on his performance, Yamamoto mentioned, “I think I’m able to keep myself very calm and that’s one of the biggest reasons I’m able to execute my pitches.”
Pages, facing Arizona’s Jordan Montgomery, hit a powerful 429-foot homer to left-center, securing a 2-0 lead in the second inning. With an eight-game hitting streak and 10 RBIs in 14 games, Pages has been in impressive form.
The Dodgers’ offense was further boosted by Austin Barnes’ RBI double and Mookie Betts’ two-run single, extending their lead to 5-0. Will Smith’s solo homer in the third inning increased their advantage to 6-0.
Betts led the team with three hits, while Miguel Rojas contributed two. The Dodgers, having won eight of their last 10 games, emerged victorious in two out of three games in the series.
Arizona’s Montgomery had his start delayed by a day due to a bee infestation during Tuesday’s game. However, the extra day of rest didn’t improve his performance as he gave up six runs on six hits and three walks over three innings.
Reflecting on his performance, Montgomery stated, “I’m not going to make any excuses. Today was my day to take the ball. Yesterday was, but it didn’t work. I was excited to get out there today and I just really didn’t have good stuff.”
Montgomery finished with one strikeout.
