Because Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto looks to be perfect every time out, any result other than a perfect performance comes under great scrutiny by himself.
You know, Los Angeles Dodgers fans, Yoshinobu Yamamoto cares a whole lot about being really good in every start for the team.
On Saturday, Los Angeles defeated the New York Mets 4-3. Yamamoto went six innings and kept the Dodgers in the game all the way while the Mets just couldn't get their act together. Still, a tough inning left him frustrated. His frustrations came out when speaking to reporters through his interpreter after the game.
Yamamoto worked six innings, giving up just five hits and one earned run. He walked three batters and struck out five, lowering his ERA to 2.72. Reliever Edgardo Henriquez gave up two earned runs in his two-thirds of an inning of work. Brock Stewart nailed down the win for his first save.
Yamamoto expresses frustration
Back to Yamamoto, who had his 15th quality start this season for the Dodgers. He threw 52 pitches through three innings, making him work much harder than he'd probably want to do on a regular basis. A Bo Bichette RBI single in the Mets' fifth really got to Yamamoto as well.
“[The pitch] kind of elevated and went up in the zone too much,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda, according to MLB.com. Yamamoto also said that his pitch count number didn't make him happy, while additionally stating that he did not have a good feel of the baseball in his bullpen session ahead of Saturday's start.
The Dodgers scored three runs in the top of the third inning. Kyle Tucker, who has been scuffling some this season, hit his ninth home run to put Los Angeles on the board. With one out, Dalton Rushing singled. Shohei Ohtani, who didn't go through a bullpen session on Saturday before the game against New York, reached base on a fielder's choice.
Rushing reached third base on Mets first baseman Brett Baty's throwing error.
Pages plays role in scoring
Andy Pages then grounded into a force out, allowing Rushing to score and give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Ohtani was out at second on the play. Freddie Freeman singled, allowing Pages to reach third base. A passed ball from Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez let Pages score and extend the Los Angeles advantage to 3-0.
In the top of the fifth inning, Teoscar Hernández hit his 11th double this season to get on base. Then, with two outs, Pages singled to right and Hernández scored to wrap up the Dodgers' scoring on Saturday.
Mets starter Nolan McLean took the loss, going to 7-7 this season. McLean worked six innings, allowing seven hits, four runs (two earned), walked two, and struck out seven. While his outing was not too bad, the Mets' offense just couldn't get it going.
Both teams are playing the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. So far, so good for the Dodgers. Let's see how the game unfolds going forward.
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