Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Japanese star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, continues to impress in his first Major League Baseball season. On Wednesday night, Yamamoto threw six scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, leading the Dodgers to an 8-0 victory.
Yamamoto, who signed a $325 million, 12-year contract with the Dodgers during the offseason, has been dominant in his past six starts. After a rough outing in his first appearance, he has now lowered his ERA to 2.91. Against the Diamondbacks, he allowed only five hits and two walks while striking out five batters.
The Dodgers’ offense provided ample support for Yamamoto, scoring five runs in the second inning. Rookie Andy Pages hit a two-run homer, while Austin Barnes and Mookie Betts added RBI doubles and singles, respectively. Will Smith also contributed a solo homer in the third inning.
Pages, who is on an eight-game hitting streak, has been a key contributor for the Dodgers since his call-up. He now has 10 RBIs in 14 games. Betts, the reigning National League MVP, had three hits in the game, while Miguel Rojas added two.
The Diamondbacks’ offense struggled against Yamamoto and the Dodgers’ bullpen. Jordan Montgomery, who was pushed back one day after a bee infestation delayed Tuesday’s game, gave up six runs on six hits and three walks in three innings. Blake Walston, making his MLB debut, allowed two runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief.
The Dodgers have now won eight of their past 10 games and took two of three games in the series against the Diamondbacks. They will return home for a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves on Friday, while the Diamondbacks will host the San Diego Padres.
