Dodgers pitcher Yamamoto records hitless performance over 6 innings, limiting Braves to zero runs, while Betts delivers a home run in a tight 2-1 victory for Los Angeles.
Friday Night Fireworks: Dodgers Extend Win Streak to Six with Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Pitching Masterclass
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Japanese ace, was on fire yet again, securing six scoreless innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers outplayed the Atlanta Braves 2-1. The Dodgers' winning streak reached an impressive six games.
Yamamoto showcased his dominance, allowing only one hit - an Austin Riley double in the sixth - and dropping his ERA to a jaw-dropping 0.90, a league best. The right-hander exited the game with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
In the seventh, Matt Olson homered off Dodgers' Kirby Yates, and right-hander Evan Phillips gave a scare by walking Olson with two outs in the ninth. However, Phillips regrouped to seal the game with Sean Murphy grounding out to the mound, earning his first save.
A rain delay of 1 hour and 13 minutes halted the action in the ninth.
Yamamoto managed only two baserunners, Marcell Ozuna, who walked on 11 pitches in the first and fourth innings. However, the Braves could not capitalize on the opportunity.
The Dodgers edged ahead in the fourth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to right field by Will Smith, scoring Mookie Betts.
Austin Riley's homer in the seventh halved the Dodgers' lead, but Yamamoto set a career high with nine strikeouts while allowing only two runs on four hits in six-plus innings.
Betts' fifth homer in the sixth extended the Dodgers' lead to a more comfortable 2-0.
Yamamoto made a crucial play in the second, snagging a 106 mph line drive hit by Sean Murphy, Atlanta's biggest threat for a hit before Riley's double.
In seven starts, Yamamoto has allowed four earned runs on 24 hits and 13 walks in 40 innings. He has maintained his impressive form, giving up five or fewer hits in each game.
The battle between young right-handers for Saturday's matchup promises to be a thrilling spectacle. Atlanta's Spencer Schwellenbach (1-2, 2.87 ERA) goes up against Roki Sasaki (0-1, 3.55) of Los Angeles.
Did you know? Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a Japanese professional baseball player, born on August 17, 1998. He has enjoyed impressive success in both Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). In NPB, he has won the pitching Triple Crown twice and thrown two consecutive no-hitters in 2022 and 2023.
Source: [1] Baseball Almanac; [2] ESPN; [3] Japanese Baseball; [4] MLB; [5] Baseball Press
In the competitive sports world of Major League Baseball (MLB), Yoshinobu Yamamoto, hailing from Japan, showcased his skills once again, using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze and adjust his pitching approach, securing another win, making it seven straight victories for his team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. With his dominance on the mound, Yamamoto has set amazing records, such as a league-best ERA of 0.90 and a career-high nine strikeouts in a single game.
