Yoshinobu Yamamoto with another gem!
Whatever struggles Yoshinobu Yamamoto showed in Pittsburgh last week were short-lived. On Friday night in Atlanta, the Dodgers’ ace rebounded with a performance that reaffirmed why he’s considered one of the top arms in baseball, and why his name is already circulating in NL Cy Young conversations.
Facing the Braves at Truist Park, Yamamoto delivered six innings of near-flawless work in a 2-1 Dodgers win, giving up just one hit, striking out six, and walking two. It was his fourth start this season of at least six innings with no earned runs allowed, and it came just days after he was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for March/April.
He didn’t even surrender a baserunner until the third inning, and he kept Atlanta hitless until Austin Riley ripped a double in the sixth. The threat ended there, though – Yamamoto quickly coaxed a groundout from Marcell Ozuna to preserve the Dodgers’ slim lead. While Yamamoto later said the idea of a no-hitter hadn’t crossed his mind, Dave Roberts admitted otherwise.
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“You start thinking about it when a guy is that efficient,” Roberts said. “He had everything working.”
Efficiency, indeed, but not indulgence. Yamamoto exited after 91 pitches, his manager noting that the plan was to potentially extend him into the seventh if Riley hadn’t broken up the no-no. But with the Dodgers beginning a grueling stretch of 10 games in 10 days, and Yamamoto already on five days’ rest (a day shorter than usual for him), there was no need to push further.
The decision also came with context: Yamamoto is still adjusting to a tighter MLB schedule after years of pitching every sixth day in Japan. Yet, he’s doing more than keeping up. After a shaky showing against Pittsburgh, five innings, three runs, a season-high four walks, Friday’s rebound displayed just what Yamamoto’s arsenal is made of.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto now boasts a 0.90 ERA, the lowest among qualified starters, and ranks seventh in MLB with 49 strikeouts. And in a rotation reeling from injuries to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, both shelved with shoulder concerns, Yamamoto’s presence has become essential, if not irreplaceable. The Dodgers, now 22-10, are leaning on their $325 million investment more than ever.
Yamamoto is only in the second year of his 12-year deal, but he already has 11 career MLB wins and a steadily growing resume. If this is just the beginning, the National League better brace itself.
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