The Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a two-game skid Monday with a 7-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians thanks to a dominant performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers’ ace seems to have a knack for getting the team back on track as Yamamoto stopped a four-game losing streak in his last start.

The second-year pro has been sensational this season. And after LA’s win over Cleveland, Yamamoto explained his process for remaining fresh from start to start.

“Every week, every outing, I reset my mind, everything. Completely reset. Whether it was good or bad, I try not to take it into the next outing,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter, via SpotsNet LA on X.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto continues to dominate for the Dodgers

May 26, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.
David Richard-Imagn Images

Whatever he’s doing, it’s working. On Monday, Yamamoto allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over six innings. Although he was keeping the Guardians in check – the Dodgers had a 5-2 advantage entering the seventh inning – manager Dave Roberts made the decision to pull Yamamoto early after a 110-pitch outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks last week.

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With the most recent win, Yoshinobu improved to 6-3 on the season with a minuscule 1.97 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched. He entered the game with an utterly dominant 211 ERA+ and sub-1.0 WHIP.

And in Monday’s matchup, Yamamoto displayed his fielding prowess as well, making a sensational play on a bunt that got past first baseman Freddie Freeman. Realizing he was the only Dodger with a chance to make the play, the pitcher cleanly picked the ball and beat Will Wilson to first, making a lunging tag to record the out.

While Yamamoto’s MLB debut last season was everything the Dodgers could have hoped for, the 26-year-old righty has elevated his game in his second year, stabilizing a rotation that’s experienced more than its share of injuries in 2025.

Of course, the Dodgers’ offense provided plenty of run support for their ace on Monday. And Shohei Ohtani went deep, retaking the MLB home run lead with his 19th bomb of the season.

With the win, LA is 33-21 on the year and sits atop the NL West. The team has a two-game lead over the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, who are tied for second in the division.