In Los Angeles, the Dodgers’ manager, Dave Roberts, uses the term “ace” sparingly to describe his pitchers. However, prior to his outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was given that prestigious label, and he certainly lived up to it.
Yamamoto delivered an impressive performance on Tuesday night, pitching seven scoreless innings while allowing only one hit and two walks, coupled with nine strikeouts. Despite not earning a decision, the Dodgers managed a dramatic comeback, defeating the Diamondbacks 4-3 in 10 innings and ending their four-game losing streak.
“I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Yamamoto remarked about his attempt at a no-hitter, understanding that his pitch count was on the rise. Yamamoto’s only hit allowed came from Ketel Marte, who singled on a 3-1 pitch to lead off the seventh inning. Marte previously reached base via a walk in the fourth inning. Gabriel Moreno also drew a walk in the seventh inning, placing runners on the corners.
The packed stadium of 51,932 erupted in applause when Yamamoto struck out Pavin Smith, concluding the inning with a swinging strikeout. “I was able to contribute to today’s win,” Yamamoto reflected. “I’d like to continue bringing my contribution to the team.”
This particular outing was noteworthy as Yamamoto hurled a career-high 110 pitches, with 62 of them being strikes, marking his fourth appearance of the season where he did not allow a run. His impressive six no-hit innings marked the longest stretch of his burgeoning major league career.
Yamamoto, who joined the Dodgers through a substantial 12-year, $325 million deal inked in December 2023, has quickly become a significant contributor.
“He’s really confident in his ability,” Roberts noted. “The success he’s had has instilled more conviction in him to execute pitches and get ahead.” Roberts added that Yamamoto seemed impeccably composed and consistent throughout the game.
The young pitcher heavily relied on his curveball, and his splitter also proved effective. Catcher Will Smith chimed in, “He’s always had good fastball command. He just mixed it up, kept them off-balance, going up, down, in, out, all that. It was really fun.”
The final play came when Max Muncy’s sacrifice fly to center field brought Shohei Ohtani home for the winning run in the 10th inning. The Dodgers chalked up three runs during that crucial inning after the Diamondbacks had initially seized a 3-1 lead, thanks to Corbin Carroll’s two-run homer off Tanner Scott.
Roberts expressed satisfaction, emphasizing, “You don’t want to waste that great of an outing.”