Dodgers secure win over Braves amidst scoreless performance from Yamamoto, coupled with a home-run showcase by Betts, resulting in a close 2-1 victory.
In a nail-biting match, Yoshinobu Yamamoto shone bright, pitching a magnificent six scoreless innings, while surrendering merely one hit to Austin Riley of the Atlanta Braves. The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched a hard-fought 2-1 victory, extending their winning streak to six games.
Yamamoto, the NL's ERA king, showcased his dominance with an impressive 0.90 ERA[2]. His performance on Friday night solidified his position, as the best pitcher in the majors when it comes to earned runs.
The Dodgers took an early 1-0 lead in the fourth, courtesy of Will Smith's sac fly, scoring Mookie Betts who reached on an infield hit. Betts later added a home run in the sixth, extending their lead to 2-0. Meanwhile, Atlanta's Matt Olson managed a homer in the seventh, but the Braves couldn't capitalize further.
Yamamoto exhibited great control, as he walked Marcell Ozuna in both the first and fourth innings, making Ozuna Atlanta's only baserunner before Riley's double in the sixth. Atlanta's Grant Holmes countered with a solid outing of his own, striking out a career-high nine batters, while conceding two runs on four hits in six-plus innings[5].
In a tense ninth, there was a rain delay of 1 hour, 13 minutes, adding to the drama of the game. Evan Phillips ended the game, recording his first save, after issuing a walk to Olson in the ninth, before retiring Sean Murphy on a grounder to the mound.
Upcoming, another promising pitching duel awaits as the series continues. Saturday's contest feature two young right-handers: Atlanta's Spencer Strider (1-2, 2.87 ERA) and Roki Sasaki (0-1, 3.55) of the Dodgers[6].
[1] https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/y/yamayo01.shtml[2] https://www.mlb.com/stats/pitching/era/league-season/national-league/2025[3] https://www.mlb.com/gameday/90221964/boxscore[4] https://www.mlb.com/player/620107/yoshinobu-yamamoto[5] https://www.mlb.com/gameday/90221964/strikes[6] https://www.mlb.com/team/los-angeles-dodgers/roster
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, continuing his impressive form, maintained a remarkable 0.90 ERA, solidifying his status as the NL's ERA king.
- In an awe-inspiring display of pitching dominance, Yamamoto surrendered only one hit in six scoreless innings, a double to Austin Riley in the sixth inning.
- Apart from the hit to Riley, Yamamoto demonstrated exceptional control, only walking Marcell Ozuna twice, keeping the Atlanta Braves' baserunners to a minimum.
- As the MLB season progresses, another intriguing pitching duel awaits, with right-handers Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves and Roki Sasaki of the Los Angeles Dodgers set to face off in an upcoming game.
