Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto goes 7 scoreless innings in 4-3 win over Diamondbacks

By Canadian Press on May 21, 2025.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts uses the word ace sparingly when it comes to his pitching staff. He bestowed it upon Yoshinobu Yamamoto before his start against Arizona, and the Japanese right-hander lived up to the billing.

Yamamoto fired seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out nine batters in a no-decision on Tuesday night. The Dodgers rallied for a 4-3 win in 10 innings over the Diamondbacks to snap a four-game skid.

“That was a great game,” Yamamoto said through a translator. “A win like this is great.”

Ketel Marte singled on a 3-1 pitch leading off the seventh to break up the no-hit bid.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Yamamoto said of his bid, knowing his pitch count was high.

Marte walked in the fourth for Yamamoto’s first baserunner. Yamamoto walked Gabriel Moreno in the seventh to put runners on the corners.

The crowd of 51,932 rose to its feet and broke out in cheers when Yamamoto retired Pavin Smith on a swinging strike to end the inning.

“I was able to contribute to today’s win,” Yamamoto said. “I’d like to continue bringing my contribution to the team.”

He threw a career-high 110 pitches, including 62 strikes, in his fourth start of the season without allowing a run. Yamamoto’s six no-hit innings were the longest stretch of his career.

Yamamoto joined the Dodgers last season after signing a $325 million, 12-year contract in December 2023.

“He’s really confident in his ability. I think that the success that he’s had has given him more conviction to execute pitches, to get ahead,” Roberts said. “He was dialed in today from the first pitch. Wasn’t stressed at all. Stayed in his throw. I thought everything was consistent all night.”

Yamamoto leaned on his curveball and his splitter was working well, too.

“He’s always had good fastball command,” catcher Will Smith said. “Just mixing it up, keeping them off-balance, going up, down, in, out, all that. He just executed. It was really fun.”

Max Muncy’s sacrifice fly to center scored Shohei Ohtani with the winning run in the 10th. The Dodgers scored three runs in the inning after Arizona took a 3-1 lead in the top half on Corbin Carroll’s two-run homer off Tanner Scott.

“You don’t want to waste that great of an outing,” Roberts said.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Beth Harris, The Associated Press