Steve Webb
Game 15, 4/11/2025: Dodgers 3, Cubs 0
CHAVEZ RAVINE — The way Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been pitching this season, we are going to be needing a custom-made adjective to describe his dominance. Right now, I’m torn between “Yoshi-riffic” and “Yama-tastic.” Either way, the dude absolutely shoved on his start on Friday night. However, the Japanese superstar needed an assist in the form a three-run homer from Tommy Edman to get his second win of the season, a 3-0 shutout win over the Chicago Cubs.
For most of his fantastic start, a win was very much in jeopardy for Yamamoto. For the first five innings, he was locked in a spectacular pitchers’ duel with the Cubbies’ Matthew Boyd, who has completely resurrected his career over the last half season. Coming into Friday’s game, Boyd’s ERA was a nifty 0.00, and he looked very much like an ace for most of the night. The Dodgers got just one hit in the first five innings, a single from Miguel Rojas.
Yamamoto, however, was every bit up to the challenge of matching Boyd pitch-for-pitch. The only real trouble came in the top of the fourth. After throwing three no-hit innings, Kyle Tucker ripped a double past Freddie Freeman (welcome back, Freddie!) to give the Cubs their first baserunner of the night. Then, Seiya Suzuki hit a single, but when Tucker was held at third, Suzuki ran himself into an out on the basepaths. Half a dozen pitches later, Yamamoto struck out Michael Busch and the threat was over.
The control of Yamamoto was incredible, pitch-perfect with the fastball, and getting beaucoup swings and misses on the splitter. It was a thing of beauty. His line for the night: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K.
However, when he exited the game after 102 pitches, he saw that the Dodgers had given him a big fat zero of support in the run department. However, Boyd ran into a three-batter sequence that absolutely turned this game around. Teoscar Hernandez muscled a single into left field on a two-strike count. Then, returning hero Freddie Freeman got plunked in hip with a pitch to put a runner in scoring position for the first time of the night.
Enter Tommy Tanks. Edman strode to the plate, hitting from the right side against the lefty Boyd. He took a curveball up for Ball One, and then absolutely CRUSHED a low changeup to left field, depositing the ball among the paying customers for a go-ahead home run.
Leading 3-0, the Dodgers only needed three innings of good relief to bring home the win. And they got just that. 1-2-3 from Kirby Yates in the seventh. Three flyouts for Blake Treinen in a scoreless eighth. And then, a quick and efficient ninth inning from Tanner Scott to seal the deal.
Not a lot of offense tonight, but against a very good Cubs team, this pitching staff was NAILS.
It was Yoshi-riffic!
The series against Chicago continues on Saturday evening with Roki Sasaki looking to build on a solid start in Philadelphia. Lanky righty Ben Brown will be on the mound for the Cubbies, as the Dodgers look to stay unbeaten at home. Game time 6:10 PM.
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