Yoshinobu Yamamoto got off to his best start in the big leagues on Thursday afternoon.
It wasn’t difficult to diagnose the reason.
During an inconsistent opening month to the $325 million pitcher’s rookie season, Yamamoto’s fastball command was often lacking. Considered his most reliable trait during a stellar career in the Japanese professional baseball league Nippon, the right-hander’s ability to locate the heater – or, more precisely, avoid throwing it into the middle of the strike zone – eluded him when he posted a 4, 50 ERA in his first five starts.
Ahead of Thursday’s series finale against the Washington Nationals, this was the dominant topic of conversation during manager Dave Roberts’ availability with reporters.
“The consistency of fastball command is something we haven’t seen from the first pitch to the end of a game,” Roberts said. “So for me, command of the fastball… that’s going to be a big thing today.”
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So just in time DodgerIn the 2-1 win at Nationals Park, Yamamoto finally dotted the field as advertised in a six-inning, four-hit, seven-strikeout, scoreless gem – firing mid-90 mph lasers to every corner of the strike zone and, crucially, very few anywhere near the center of the plate.
In one day, the Dodgers (16-11) were once again an offensive waste — they went one-for-10 with runners in scoring position, ended four straight innings on double plays and scored their only runs on a Teoscar Hernandez home run in the second inning and Freddie Freeman doubles in the eighth – Yamamoto’s dominance was necessary to complete a three-game series.
The right-hander didn’t give up the hit until the third inning. He didn’t let multiple batters get on base at any point until the sixth. The only real bullet he had to dodge was a 100 mph comeback from Eddie Rosario that came excruciatingly close to hitting his face late in the fifth.
The basis of the entire performance was his mastery of the fastball. Of his 40 pitches on the field, 17 resulted in a hit or hit (home plate umpire Brian Walsh helped with some favorable calls), six were overthrown, and – unlike previous games in which opponents feasted on players from four missed seams – only one resulted in a hit.
The precision helped Yamamoto advance in the count. This set him up to shut down batting with his wicked array of sidearms. It also kept his pitch count in check, allowing him to complete the sixth inning for a second straight start, something he didn’t do once in his first four MLB appearances.
It’s true that the rebuilding Nationals (10-14) hardly have a giant lineup. The night before his scoreless performance, a very different kind of rookie, mid-major prospect Landon Knack, limited the hosts to just two runs in six frames.
Still, Yamamoto’s process seemed much improved on Thursday, with his precise command providing a possible blueprint for future success in the big leagues.
“When he throws it where he’s supposed to,” Roberts said, “it certainly works like an elite fastball.”
And more than that, it makes Yamamoto look more like the elite starter he was expected to be after signing his record-setting contract this winter.
Buehler’s next step to be determined
Walker Buehler will no longer have to pitch on the “moon” — Roberts’ nickname for the AAA stadium in Albuquerque where the former All-Star starter made his fifth rehab outing with the Dodgers’ Oklahoma City affiliate on Wednesday .
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Exactly when Buehler will finally return to the Dodgers’ orbit, however, remains unclear, according to the manager.
Although the high altitude in Albuquerque affected things for Buehler on Wednesday night, as he gave up seven hits and five runs (three earned), the right-hander pitched in the fifth inning while throwing a season-high 86 pitches.
“It was what you would expect to be at altitude,” Roberts said. “But he came in in the fifth inning… and [got his] Increasing pitch count, which was great.
Roberts said the Dodgers would “go back” with Buehler on Thursday to decide whether he needs further rehab or is ready to return to the majors for the first time since his Tommy John surgery in 2022.
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This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
