Steve Webb
ARLINGTON, TX — In a marquee pitching matchup under the lights at Globe Life Field, the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto emerged victorious in a classic duel against Rangers ace Jacob deGrom, leading Los Angeles to a 3–0 shutout win on Friday night.
Yamamoto, continuing his dazzling sophomore campaign, was dominant across seven shutout innings. The right-hander allowed just five hits, walked none, and struck out ten, lowering his ERA to a microscopic 0.93. His fastball command was crisp, his splitter devastating, and his composure unshakable—especially in the third inning when Texas threatened with runners on second and third and only one out. Yamamoto responded by retiring the heart of the Rangers’ order to escape the jam unscathed. Yoshi’s line: 7 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 10 K (tied career high!), 0 BB on 102 pitches (68 strikes). 20 whiffs (career high), 12 called strikes, and 8 hard hits allowed.
On the other side, two-time Cy Young winner deGrom was equally electric through six, but a leadoff home run from Tommy Edman on the second pitch of the game gave the Dodgers all the offense they would need. Edman, who finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, proved to be the catalyst for L.A.’s offense. Edman was filling in for Shohei Ohtani in the leadoff spot while Shohei welcomes a baby this weekend. He bopped his NL-leading 7th homer of the season on a high fastball from deGrom that he took over the right field fence for the only run the Dodgers would end up needing in this one.
DeGrom went six strong innings, allowing just that one run on four hits and striking out eight. He matched Yamamoto pitch for pitch but was ultimately the hard-luck loser, as the Dodgers scratched out two insurance runs in the top of the ninth against the Rangers’ bullpen. After Edman reached on an infield single and took second on the throwing error (because of course), Teoscar Hernández added an RBI single, and Will Smith lifted a sac fly to bring the score to 3–0.
Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott finished the job out of the bullpen, with Scott recording the final three outs after Yates struck out two in a clean eighth. The ninth got a little dicey, with two men on with just one out, but Scott induced Josh Jung to ground into a round-the-horn double play to end the game. The call was disputed by the Rangers, but in the end, the game was over.
It was the Dodgers’ second shutout win of the season and a reminder of just how dangerous this rotation can be when Yamamoto takes the hill. The victory moves the Dodgers to 15–6, while the Rangers fall to 12–8. With both teams leading their divisions, this one had October energy—and Yamamoto rose to the moment.
Starting the Easter weekend with a “good Friday,” the Dodgers face another great pitcher on Saturday, when they see 2018 World Series nemesis Nathan Eovaldi as he takes the mound against rookie Roki Sasaki. First pitch, 1:05 PDT. Game on Fox. Let’s go!
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