MLB
Another successful start for Yoshinobu Yamamoto in LA Dodgers victory
The Japanese pitcher delivered an exquisite performance from the mound in the Los Angeles franchise’s victory against the Miami Marlins.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made one of the most important hires for Major League Baseball in 2024 when they added Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto to their team. Yamamoto has been displaying his outstanding pitching from the mound, and he proved his worth during the Dodgers’ victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday with another impressive performance.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a home run on his first pitch, but the Asian knew how to recover to complete an outing with eight innings of work, five hits allowed, two earned runs, five strikeouts, and no walks. A striking aspect is that according to MLB Stats, it is the first time a Dodgers pitcher starts a game with consecutive strikes (sic!).
The 25-year-old pitcher has to plan for the upcoming series. He might not pitch against the San Diego Padres (May 10-12) for rest reasons, but he will start when LA visits the San Francisco Giants. In his recent games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he had a five-day rest between games, while today, he pitched after only four days.
It was also his first time pitching eight innings for the Los Angeles team, and the feedback from Dodger Stadium was positive. Under the leadership of manager Dave Roberts, the team continues to hold the top spot in the National League West. It faces important challenges ahead of time to maintain its lead in the division. Currently, they are only trailing the Philadelphia Phillies in the Major Leagues.
Max Muncy also paved the way for the Dodgers
In the game against the Marlins, the Dodgers initially fell behind on the scoreboard after Chisholm Jr. hit a solo home run. However, Max Muncy, the Dodgers’ third baseman batting seventh, managed to turn the game around. In the bottom of the first inning, he hit a home run with the bases loaded, making the score 1-4 and causing the fans to go crazy.
In the third inning, Andy Pagés hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Will Smith, and Gavin Luz hit his first home run to beat Teoscar Hernández. Finally, Muncy scored due to a bad throw to third base. The series against the Marlins ends on Wednesday, and the next one will be against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.