Dodgers Interview: Yamamoto Reflects on Rough Start vs. Yankees
“I Just Couldn't Find My Rhythm”
LOS ANGELES — Following the Dodgers’ 7–3 loss to the Yankees on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium, starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto spoke with the media about his uncharacteristically short outing. The right-hander lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up four runs in what was his shortest start since his MLB debut.
From the outset, Yamamoto knew he didn’t have his best stuff. “From the very beginning, I couldn’t really control my pitches,” he said. “I tried to make adjustments during the game, but I wasn’t able to pitch well until the end.”
Yamamoto’s trademark split-finger fastball was notably ineffective, but he emphasized it wasn’t just one pitch that let him down. “It wasn’t only the splitter—my fastball, my curve, all of my pitches were off today,” he explained. “I just couldn’t command anything.”
He acknowledged that this wasn’t the first time he’s run into command issues this season, and it’s something he knows needs to be addressed between starts. “There have been a few outings recently like this, where I’ve struggled to locate,” Yamamoto said. “So I need to focus more during bullpen sessions to fix those issues.”
Still, the 25-year-old maintained perspective, saying ups and downs are to be expected over the course of a long season. “There are games where everything goes well, and games where things don’t,” he said. “I don’t think I need to completely change anything right now, but I do need to fine-tune the details.”
During the game, Yamamoto did attempt several in-game adjustments, drawing on different strategies he’s developed over his career. “I have a few ways I try to make adjustments when things aren’t working, and I tried different things today,” he said. “There were a few good pitches, but I just couldn’t recover fully, and ended up getting pulled. It’s frustrating.”
There had been some concern about his health after he reportedly took a comebacker off his hip during a recent start in Cleveland, but Yamamoto said that had no impact on his performance Sunday. “I felt completely fine physically coming into this game. That had nothing to do with how I pitched today.”
While the outing was a rare stumble for Yamamoto, both he and the Dodgers remain focused on the larger goal of continued improvement. As he looks to rebound, the young ace is determined to use this as a learning opportunity.
“It’s disappointing,” Yamamoto said, “but all I can do is work harder and be better next time.”
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