Dodgers Rookie Starter Discusses Bounceback Performance Against Cardinals

Jason Fray | Apr 3, 2024

What a difference one week makes.

The hype surrounding Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Los Angeles Dodgers debut in Seoul, South Korea was immense. After the Dodgers shelled out a 12-year, $325 million contract for the 25-year-old phenom, many stateside were eager to see him finally take the bump and square off versus NL West rival San Diego Padres.

The hype didn’t exactly align with the result. Yamamoto was lifted after one inning – allowing four hits and five earned runs in the 15-11 loss to the Padres.

Coming back to Los Angeles, Yamamoto got another shot to endear himself to the fan base versus the Cardinals on Saturday evening. To say the start went better would be an understatement.
Despite a highly rare rain delay, Yamamoto went 5.0 IP – allowing only two hits and zero walks. He struck out the side in the first inning and ultimately finished with five strikeouts.

After the game, Yamamoto offered a few thoughts on his start.

“Compared to the last [start], I think I had my stuff back.”

Speaking with Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, he spoke about an eagerness to get back on the hill:

“I wasn’t too panicked or unsure of myself, but I failed in my previous start, so between that game and today felt like an extremely long time.”

Yamamoto’s stuff was sharp and decisive. He had a terrific bite on his off-speed pitches, and the rise of his fastball – a trademark of his arsenal – was evident. In the first game, it appeared as if the ball was set lower in his glove before delivering the baseball.

Whether the Padres were able to read Yamamoto’s pitch choices or not is up for interpretation. However, perhaps an adjustment was made in between starts, Yamamoto held the ball in his glove at an elevated spot on his body compared to the start in Seoul. The results were clearly different – and the most encouraging improvement came with command

As Yamamoto continues to get more and more comfortable with the various elements of pitching stateside, his effectiveness should continue to tick up toward ace-level territory.