Yoshinobu Yamamoto Feels ‘Regret’ After Rough Dodgers Debut in Korea

The first game of Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s major league career went about as bad as it could have for the Dodgers’ starting pitcher Thursday. From the first pitch he threw to the San Diego Padres, Yamamoto was ambushed.

The 25-year-old right-hander ended up allowing five runs on four hits with a walk. He did record two strikeouts, but after just one inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled the plug on his debut.

Yamamoto spoke to reporters, including Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain, after the game about his poor performance.

“I feel regret that I just couldn’t keep the team in the game from the get-go,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter, denying that nerves in his debut played a part. “So I do feel a responsibility for it. Like I said, I just have to get ready for the next outing.”

— Yoshinobu Yamamoto via The Dodgers Nation YouTube Channel

However, Yamamoto wasn’t completely discouraged. He said he knows how to fix the issues that he saw against San Diego and would be working with the coaching staff to make sure he is ready to go for his next start.

“I wasn’t able to execute pitches from the stretch. I know how to fix it, and I’m going to talk to my pitching coaches, Mark [Prior] and Connor [McGuiness], and then get myself ready for the next one.”

Yamamoto is likely to make his next start at Dodger Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals in the team’s domestic home opening series. This will be another chance for the talented rookie to show what he can do and put this disastrous debut behind him.

Roberts boiled the reason for Yamamoto’s disastrous debut down to one thing.

“(He) just didn’t have the command. It’s not about the stuff. When you’re a command guy, which he’s been his entire career, his life, and you misfire and get behind in counts and hit batters, that’s just not who he is.”

— Dave Roberts via the Dodgers Nation YouTube Channel

Luckily for Yamamoto, this is just one bad performance. There will be a learning curve for him coming over from Japan, but the measure of his success will be how he responds to bad outings — even when a really bad outing comes first.

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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