How Did Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto Feel About His First Season With LA?

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 29, 2024

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers had already secured the best record in baseball before stepping onto the field in Denver on Saturday.

However, they still needed one final strong performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto as they prepared for the postseason. Yamamoto delivered, helping the Dodgers to a commanding 13-2 victory with five solid innings on the mound.

“Great tune-up for Yoshinobu,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “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.”

Yoshinobu Yamamoto caught up with reporters postgame to discuss his outing and overall performance this season in preparation for the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/EX5AO14B9K

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 29, 2024

While the Dodgers weren't playing for standings or seeding, the focus was on getting Yamamoto back to form in his fourth start since returning from the injured list. The rookie right-hander allowed two runs over five innings, marking the first time he reached that distance since being activated.

“I feel good,” Roberts added. “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.”

Yamamoto, who had been feeling under the weather earlier in the week, started a bit shaky, giving up a home run to Ezequiel Tovar in the third inning. But after that, he found his rhythm, utilizing his mix of pitches—a four-seam fastball, curveball, and splitter—to strike out six batters over his five innings of work.

“It was not a perfect season for me due to my injury, because I was away from the team,” Yamamoto admitted through his 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 do my best to contribute.”

Yamamoto finished his rookie season with an impressive 3.00 ERA despite the mid-season shoulder injury that sidelined him for a portion of the year. With the postseason on the horizon, he will look to build on his recent outing, as he's expected to pitch five or six innings in either Game 2 or Game 3 of the NL Division Series.

He'll face off against either the Padres, who have secured a Wild Card berth, or one of the D-backs, Mets, or Braves, who are still competing for the remaining playoff spots.

“It’s going to be a must-win situation,” Yamamoto said, looking ahead to his playoff debut. “I’ll do my best to give everything I’ve got and to win.”