Yoshinobu Yamamoto Pulled After 1 Inning in MLB, Dodgers Debut
Yoshinobu Yamamoto did not have an MLB and Dodgers debut to remember.
From the very first pitch, the Padres were all over the Japanese star.
Yamamoto’s first pitch was a 96.6 mph fastball that Xander Bogaerts hit by a diving Mookie Betts at shortstop.
Then, Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch, setting up runners on first and second with nobody out.
Jake Cronenworth quickly capitalized, smoking a two-run triple to right field to give the Padres a quick 2-0 lead.
Then, Manny Machado walked, and Ha-Seong Kim crushed a fly ball to center field that scored a run on a sacrifice fly.
Jurickson Profar struck out, before Luis Campusano came up, and hit a ground ball down the third base line that went under Max Muncy’s glove and into left field for an RBI double.
Then, a Tyler Wade single pushed the lead to 5-0, before Jackson Merrill struck out swinging the end the inning.
Yamamoto ended up throwing 43 pitches, and allowed five earned runs on four hits with a walk, a hit by pitch and two strikeouts.
On the dullest of bright sides, Yamamoto had five swings and misses in his first and only inning of work.
But he just never looked comfortable or confident in his first crack against big league hitters in a regular season game.
Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million deal this offseason, the longest and richest contract for a pitcher in MLB history.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Between Yamamoto tanking and Shohei in a big mess, you can practically smell the Schadenfreude cheering going on around the league. The season doesn’t look so promising any more, took two games. The Ds would be wise to suspend Ohtani, sign JD, and make this a circle the wagons season. It is a giant mess, and they are crazy to try and hide and deny and deflect. They still have a lot of great players that can still put together a lot of wins. But having to deal with this every day will ruin it.
Great idea to overreact. Shows a lot of calm, considered thoughtful analysis.
No reason at this time to believe Ohtani did anything to justify suspending him. There are MLB-MLBPA rules regarding suspending players. JD has signed with the Mets. Yammamoto’s last 3 starts are the concern.