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Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Padres' Yu Darvish Set to Make History in NLDS Game 5

The showdown between Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto and San Diego Padres veteran Yu Darvish in Game 5 of the NLDS on Friday will mark the first matchup between Japanese-born pitchers in MLB postseason history.

Sam Connon

Oct 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws a pitch in the first inning against the San Diego Padres during game one of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium.
Oct 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws a pitch in the first inning against the San Diego Padres during game one of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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The heated NLDS showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres is finally coming to a head in Game 5 on Friday, and the two sides will combine to make history, no matter the end result.

The Dodgers have announced that rookie right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will serve as their starting pitcher. The Padres, meanwhile, have pegged veteran righty Yu Darvish as their starter.

According to OptaSTATS, this will mark the first matchup of Japanese-born starting pitchers in MLB postseason history.

Yamamoto joined the Dodgers on a record-breaking 12-year, $325 million contract last winter, making him the highest-paid pitcher in league history. The 26-year-old largely lived up to that price tag this season – when he wasn't out due to injury – going 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.111 WHIP, 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.7 WAR across 18 starts.

As pointed out by MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Yamamoto will become the fifth rookie pitcher in Dodgers history to start a winner-takes-all postseason game.

Dustin May did so in Game 7 of the 2020 NLCS, while Walker Buehler did it in Game 7 of the 2018 NLCS. Before them, the Dodgers put their faith in Fernando Valenzuela for Game 5 of the 1981 NLCS and Joe Black in Game 7 of the 1952 World Series, back when the team was still in Brooklyn.

Yamamoto made his playoff debut in Game 1 of the NLDS last weekend, giving up five earned runs to the Padres in just 3.0 innings of work. Yamamoto's only other outing against San Diego this year came in his MLB debut during the Seoul Series back on March 21, when he got rocked for five earned runs in 1.0 inning.

Darvish, on the other hand, is no stranger to big moments.

Over the course of his 12-year major league career, Darvish has made 12 starts in the postseason. He owns a 3.88 ERA and 1.062 WHIP in the playoffs, although his teams are 5-7 when he takes the mound.

The 38-year-old started Game 2 of the NLDS last Sunday, tossing 7.0 innings and allowing just one earned run.

The battle between Yamamoto and Darvish will determine who gets to face the New York Mets in the NLCS. First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET on Friday.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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