In Saturday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a close 6-5 loss in 10 innings. However, it was an impressive performance by starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his Dodger Stadium debut.
Yamamoto showcased his talent by allowing just two hits with no runs or walks across five innings while striking out five batters. This performance stood in stark contrast to his rough MLB debut during the Seoul Series, where he conceded four hits and five runs in just one inning before being substituted.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed satisfaction with Yamamoto’s outing, highlighting it as a significant positive despite the team’s defeat. Roberts noted that Yamamoto’s performance mirrored the promising form displayed during spring training and in previous video analysis.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Gorgeous Yo-Yo Curveball. 😍 pic.twitter.com/gcMtRkUzu7
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 31, 2024
Shohei Ohtani, the team’s star player, also praised Yamamoto’s performance, emphasizing the need for better run support early in the game to secure a win for the pitcher.
Yamamoto’s stellar performance came after the Dodgers invested significantly in him during the offseason, signing him to a massive 12-year, $325 million contract in free agency. This signing was part of a series of significant moves by the team, including acquiring Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández, as well as trading for Tyler Glasnow before signing him to an extension.
Yamamoto’s performance on Saturday demonstrated the caliber of pitcher the Dodgers had envisioned when making such a substantial financial commitment.
