Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s scoreless Dodger Stadium debut

LOS ANGELES — Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s first act in the Majors couldn’t have gone much worse. The Japanese right-hander was the first person to admit that.

In his Major League debut, Yamamoto recorded just three outs, allowing five runs in the process against the Padres. Yamamoto, now the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history, battled some nerves in Seoul, South Korea, and his routine was altered due to the travel and long pregame celebrations.

From the moment Yamamoto got on the plane back to Los Angeles, he was determined to make his second chance at a first impression count. He did just that on Saturday, striking out five and allowing two hits over five scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ 6-5 loss in 10 innings against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

“I didn’t find it sʜᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ. Dave Roberts, manager of the Dodgers, stated, “It was good to see.” “I just really feel that this is a sign of more things to come, not to make too much of a second start.”

Seeing Yamamoto play for the first time in his Major League Baseball career, the home audience cheered him on during his pregame introduction. After Yamamoto gave them a preview of what to expect in the upcoming 12 seasons, the clapping became even more enthusiastic.

Yamamoto attacked the Cardinals’ highest ranking member without delay. He started the game by striking out Brendan Donovan with three straight pitches, including a 79 mph curveball. He then got Paul Goldschmidt, the former most valuable player in the National League, to swing at his trademark splitter. In the first inning, Yamamoto struck out the side, and Nolan Gorman received the same treatment.

Yamamoto stated, speaking through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda, “That was a great vibe.” “It was fun, crowd and fans. That was excellent.

Yamamoto never really got into any difficulty, even though the Cardinals hit five balls off him that had an exit velocity of 95 mph or more. As was the case on his route to three Triple Crowns in Japan as a pitcher, Yamamoto’s sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ was showcasing his exceptional command. 

Despite never having thrown a pitch in the Major Leagues, it’s what had scouts raving about him and ultimately helped him become a $325 million man this winter with nearly every big-market team after his services.

To that question, Dave Roberts of the Dodgers said, “Huge,” regarding Yamamoto’s ability to consistently land splitters and curveballs. If there’s a pitcher in the area who can command the fastball and pitch, I believe Yoshinobu can. But it’s crucial to keep guys off-balance from front to back. The curveball, in my opinion, is his slowest pitch, yet it plays so beautifully to throw opponents off-balance and interfere with their timing. Both of them are essential.

For the past six days, Yamamoto was consumed with perfecting his technique. Yamamoto had to deal with some pitch tilting this spring. Since then, he has corrected it. The Dodgers now feel that the mechanical cues are in the proper place. 

 Both Roberts and assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness expressed optimism before the game that Yamamoto would do far better in his second start. Perhaps expressing some relief, the 25-year-old grinned as he made his way back to the dugout after Yamamoto retired Brandon Crawford to close the fifth inning.

Pitching in a wet atmosphere must have been challenging, Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “I thought it was a really good outing because he was able to go out and pitch another inning despite the rain delay.”

Regretfully, the Dodgers’ bullpen was unable to maintain the advantage and assist Yamamoto in earning his first Major League victory. But he will have many opportunities. For the time being, the Dodgers will have to make do with seeing glimpses of the pitcher they bought for—an outing Yamamoto can carry into the future.

“With today’s pitches, there was a part of me that felt relieved,” Yamamoto remarked. “I’m thinking about the next one right now.”