After failing to get out of the first inning in his first Major League game, Yoshinobu Yamamoto showed the baseball world why the Dodgers made him the richest pitcher in history. Against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, Yamamoto finished the game throwing five innings, allowing just two hits, zero runs and striking out five batters.
He battled not only a rare rain Los Angeles rain delay but also a narrative that his stuff would not translate to MLB. After the game, he spoke with the media about a key difference between the two outings,
“Compared to the last one, I think I had my stuff back,” Yamamoto said afterward.
Yamamoto flashed his elite pitch mix and command. He did not walk a single batter and induced some very silly swings from some very good players.
When asked about his mentality going into this game, Yamamoto didn’t hold back.
“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.”
Having a short memory is paramount to being one of the game’s best. However, after a poor outing in his Dodgers debut, Yamamoto had to wait nine days before getting back on the mound. That’s a long time to think about “what could have been,” during his MLB debut.
Yamamoto also talked about the differences in pitching in NPB and MLB, specifically at Dodger Stadium,
“I was able to calm down more and pitch my game. This is a different place, but I tried to do what I did when I pitched in Japan. I tried to recreate the feelings I had when I pitched really well and went in relaxed.”
During his posting period, multiple teams, along with the Dodgers, were prepared to give Yamamoto generational money. This type of commitment shows what teams believe Yamamoto can be as a starting pitcher in this league.
As he starts more games, he will get more comfortable pitching here and with these players. This start against the Cardinals could be a jumping-off point for the betting favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
Photo Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
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