Yoshinobu Yamamoto Attended Dodgers Playoff Game in 2017 With Kenta Maeda Pitching
The Dodgers officially introduced Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the public Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. While answering questions from the media, Yamamoto revealed he attended a playoff game in Los Angeles at age 19 during the 2017 postseason.
Among the Dodgers’ pitchers that day? Kenta Maeda, whom the Dodgers signed out of Japan prior to the 2016 season.
It’s uncertain which game he came to exactly, as Maeda pitched in nine games that postseason. Pitching exclusively out of the bullpen after having started virtually all season, Maeda allowed only one run the entire postseason. It came on a critical three-run home run by Jose Altuve in Game 5 of the World Series, but Maeda was only charged with one earned run allowed.
Maeda did not allow a run in any of the four postseason games he pitched at Dodger Stadium. So, Yamamoto got to see a dominant display from the right-hander.
He appeared in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs and Games 2 and 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.
Yamamoto attended another MLB game during his visit, saying that he also went to Oakland to see the Athletics play. He wanted to see what the postseason was like in the United States, and it helped him decide to ultimately come here.
The lineage of Japanese pitchers in the Dodgers’ history is long. Soon, Yamamoto will have the opportunity to etch his own name alongside those who came before him.
Wednesday was just the beginning for Yamamoto and L.A., with him being only 25 years old. He’ll have plenty of time ahead of him to make his mark and write his own legacy with the Dodgers.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
