Yoshinobu Yamamoto Reflects on ‘Not Perfect’ First Season With Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers had already secured the best record in baseball before taking the field on Saturday in Denver but they needed one more strong outing from Yoshinobu Yamamoto before the playoffs begin.
The result was a 13-2 win and five solid innings from Yamamoto.
“Great tune-up for Yoshinobu,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I thought the fastball was really good. Had life to it. I thought the command of it was really good. There were some near misses. As the game went on, the split got better. The curveball was good.”
The Dodgers weren’t playing for anything other than building Yamamoto’s arm up in his fourth start since coming off the injured list. He allowed two runs and went five innings for the first time since being activated.
“I feel good,” Roberts said. “With Yoshi, I think the pitch count is fine. Getting him through the fifth inning was great. There’s going to be certainly a lot more adrenaline when he makes that [postseason] start. But then he’ll have time to recover. So as far as the build-up, I think he’s in a good spot.”
After feeling under the weather for most of the week, Yamamoto struggled a little early but settled in nicely after giving up a home run to Ezequiel Tovar in the third.
Yamamoto wrapped up his rookie season by striking out six batters over five innings, utilizing his key pitches: a four-seam fastball, curveball, and splitter. Despite a mid-season interruption due to a right shoulder injury, he finished with an impressive 3.00 ERA.
“It was not a perfect season for me due to my injury, because I was away from the team,” Yamamoto said through translator Yoshihiro Sonoda. “However, I learned a lot, I experienced great things, and my teammates helped accumulate the wins, leading us into October. I really appreciate it and I’ll like to do my best to contribute.”
Yamamoto will have to build on this last start moving forward. He is expected to pitch five or six innings in his next outing, which will take place in either Game 2 or Game 3 of the NL Division Series. He’ll face either the Padres, who secured a Wild Card spot, or one of the D-backs, Mets, or Braves, who are still competing for the remaining playoff spots.
This start will mark Yamamoto’s postseason debut.
“It’s going to be must-win situation,” Yamamoto said. “I’ll do my best to give everything I’ve got and to win.”
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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