Dodgers Interview: Yamamoto discusses brilliant outing

LOS ANGELES — Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave Dodgers fans everything they could’ve hoped for—and more. Over seven shutout innings, the Japanese ace carved through the Diamondbacks’ lineup, mixing pitches with precision, keeping hitters off balance, and giving the Dodgers a chance to win a game they had to have.

It wasn’t just a great outing. It was a statement. And it meant even more after the team battled back from two late deficits to walk it off in the tenth inning.

“Even though we gave up the lead, the lineup kept connecting all the way to the end,” Yamamoto said after the game. “We all fought together to win. It was a great team win.”

Yamamoto held Arizona hitless through the early innings and never looked rattled. With his full arsenal working—the curveball, cutter, fastball, and signature splitter—he was surgical from start to finish. “The curveball and cutter were really effective today,” he said. “Will [Smith] called a great game. I just trusted him and threw with full commitment.”

The game marked Yamamoto’s longest MLB outing so far—seven innings and over 100 pitches—but he wasn’t paying attention to a potential no-hitter or personal milestones. “A complete game is still a long way off unless I can throw like 130 pitches,” he said with a smile. “I just focused on each batter in front of me.”

He also credited Arizona’s starting pitcher for keeping the game tight through the middle innings, which raised the pressure on him to stay perfect. “Their pitcher was really good too,” he said. “So I tightened up my focus each inning to make sure I didn’t let the leadoff hitter get on base or give up the first run.”

The pivotal moment came in the seventh. After allowing a walk, Yamamoto looked toward the dugout, expecting manager Dave Roberts to come out—but Roberts stayed put. “He didn’t come out, so I knew I still had the ball,” Yamamoto said. “I was ready to keep going.”

With the game hanging in the balance, Yamamoto bore down and ended the inning with a strikeout, pumping his fist as the crowd roared. “It was a cutter, and it ended up a little more over the middle than I wanted,” he said. “But I was focused on throwing it hard toward Will’s glove, and it worked out.”

What made the moment even more special was the support from his teammates during that tense sequence. “Max [Muncy] and Will came to the mound,” he recalled. “We talked about the next pitch, but they also helped me relax. They kind of lightened the mood in a good way. That helped me stay calm and focus.”

Before the game, Roberts referred to Yamamoto as “our ace”—a label he doesn’t hand out lightly. When told about the praise, Yamamoto’s face lit up. “It means a lot,” he said. “If the manager sees me that way, I want to keep working to live up to those expectations.”

Even with the backdrop of a rough recent outing against Arizona earlier in the season, Yamamoto stayed locked in. “I didn’t carry any bad memories into today,” he said. “I practiced hard and just stayed focused on the challenge.”

Asked about the raucous crowd and the loud “Yoshi” chants echoing through Dodger Stadium, he beamed. “I heard them, yes,” he said with a laugh. “It made me really happy.”

In a game full of twists, comebacks, and clutch moments, Yamamoto’s performance was the anchor. He gave the Dodgers the chance to fight, to rally, and to win. And in doing so, he reminded fans—and teammates—why he’s the guy you want on the mound when it matters most.

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