LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers' starting pitcher climbed the highest as manager Dave Roberts struggled to build his weapon tree of trust. The most important of these is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who took on the role of the Ace in the sophomore season.
Having the chance to shut down the NL wildcard series and send the Reds pack with victory Wednesday night, Roberts could have chosen to actively manage his pitching staff. But he believes the Dodgers' chances of winning are as high as Yamamoto on the mound.
As he did throughout the season, Yamamoto was delivered. He made an impressive escape show in the sixth inning to get rid of the base-filled jam and then ranted and clapped after throwing the MLB career-high 113 courts.
“As a starting pitcher, my job is getting into the game as deep as possible,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “Today I just wanted to bring everything to it.”
Since adoption in 2022, the defending World Series champion will enter the next stage of their title since the adoption of three best formats in 2022: the NL Division vs. the Phillies, which began Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
“I think we can win everything. I think we have the ability to do that,” Roberts said. “We certainly have a pedigree. We certainly have hunger. We play great. Honestly, I don't care about the people we play. I just want to be the last team.”
Yamamoto has kept Dodger Stadium loyal to his footsteps multiple times in his 6 2/3 innings, thanks to Teoscar Hernández of the right field who won two future runs in the first game in the match. After that, he retired 13 consecutive hits to enter the sixth inning, when he gave up three hits to load the base and no one eliminated.
If Yamamoto was frightened, he wouldn't show it. He let Austin Hays play football at shortstop Mookie Betts, who gets force at home. He then lowered Sal Stewart and Elly de la Cruz to end the threat, roaring as the crowd burst into joy.
Last playoffs, Yamamoto showed why the Dodgers gave him a 12-year $325 million contract, the biggest pitcher in Major League Baseball history – before he pitched in the majors. Now, he allows no more than one winning game in a row in the playoffs, the first Dodge to do so since Walker Buehler in 2020.
“Throwing 110 balls and playing 7 innings there, for one, it's just one person who isn't happy with what we did last year,” infielder Miguel Rojas said. “He wants another. He's a guy who shows he can do this kind of thing and now in his second year he's showing he's not happy with a ring. He wants to win with this organization for a long time and I'm happy to play behind him.”
By the end of the season, rotation had become the Dodgers' biggest advantage, but Yamamoto was the only constant throughout the year. He was the only member of the six-man rotation, and he didn't miss the start, leading the team with 173 2/3 innings and released a 2.49 ERA in 30 games.
Again, it was a breakout season when he arrived a professional season a year ago as one of the most accomplished active players in baseball?
Yamamoto won the Japanese Series, World Baseball Classics and Olympic Gold. He won the CY Young Award at the Eiji Sawamura Award (NPB) and won the three-time Pacific League MVP Award.
And if he continues to push his way this year, he can provide the Dodgers with the best chance to be the first team to win back-to-back titles in a quarter-century.