The Los Angeles Dodgers knocked off the Chicago Cubs by a final score of 4-1 on Saturday, led by a stellar performance from new starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The big win came one day after the Dodgers traded for a Philadelphia Phillies pitcher to add to their staff. A fan recently shared surprising thoughts on ‘being taken advantage of' by the Los Angeles franchise after catching a foul ball.
Off-the-diamond concerns aside, Yamamoto's masterful performance on Saturday was one for the ages as he shut down the Cubs in a performance reminiscent of his famous pitching coach.
Yamamoto's Big Day With Dodgers
Yamamoto went five innings and struck out eight batters on Saturday vs. an overmatched Chicago Cubs lineup. The Dodgers' big offseason addition gave up three hits and walked two batters along the way.
Prior to the game, Yamamoto's development got an enthusiastic shout-out from Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior, the former Cubs fireballer who praised Yamamoto's improving command of his pitches. Yamamoto changed his grip to something further away from his body, enabling him to improve his location once again.
“I give him credit, he ran the process out,” Prior said. “Found out it wasn't something that was working for him from a command standpoint.”
Yamamoto's ability to obscure his arm angles make him a bear for opposing hitters to face on the mound. If he can maintain the type of precision he showcased on Saturday, the sky is the limit for the Dodgers' ‘other' Japanese offseason acquisition.
“He is such a command guy with all his pitches,” Prior said. “That's one of his skills, is to be able to command all his pitches. So he's found a different way to get his hands in an area where he can kind of set into his delivery but also at the same time making sure that he's not giving anything away.”
Shohei Ohtani and Max Muncy had two hits each for the Dodgers on Saturday, considering their scintillating early season play.
Dodgers Schedule Shifts to American League
The Dodgers are set to take on the Cubs again at 11:20 am ET tomorrow with Gavin Stone set to take the hill for Los Angeles. Fellow Japanese countryman Shōta Imanaga, nicknamed ‘The Throwing Philosopher,' is expected to take the hill for the Cubs.
Following Sunday's game the Dodgers will head to Minnesota to play the Twins as the early part of their schedule continues.
While it is not known how Yamamoto's command will hold up for an entire season, the Dodgers' prized 25-year-old offseason pickup is already flashing the type of talent that could make him a frontline starter for years.
With Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani and others all stepping up to lead early, the Dodgers have already found themselves in the penthouse of the NL West with plenty of more season left to navigate.
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