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Yoshinobu Yamamoto was finishing his warm-up pitches on the mound at Dodger Stadium before he began Tuesday night’s game against the Miami Marlins. As that was happening, MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger declared a “no-hitter watch” for the Los Angeles Dodgers rookie.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but we are already on no-hitter alert,” Amsinger said, per Awful Announcing. “Yoshinobu Yamamoto, before he throws a single pitch tonight against the Marlins.”
No more than 30 seconds after, Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched Yamamoto’s first pitch of the night into the seats for a leadoff home run. The ‘announcer’s jinx’ is often joked about and this was a prime example of that happening.
Some fans saw the humor in it all, while other professional Dodgers haters took it as the national media hyping up LA a little too much once again. Whatever side you’re on, it’s hard not to laugh at that clip.
Yamamoto lost the no-hitter and shutout on the first pitch he threw and the Dodgers were behind. The first inning was the only time LA trailed in its 8-2 win as Max Muncy launched a grand slam in the bottom of the first to give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead.
Yamamoto settled in after the first and tossed eight efficient innings, fanning five Marlins while allowing two runs on five hits. He threw 97 pitches in his fourth consecutive quality start. He’s earned the win in each of his last three outings.
“The most important thing is to lead the team to the victory and ideally to stay on a low pitch count,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter, per the Associated Press. “If that can lead to winning, that becomes meaningful for myself.”
Dodgers, Yamamoto winning a lot
On April 20, the Dodgers lost their third consecutive game and seventh in their last nine. They were 12-11 and naturally, question marks flew about the star-studded roster’s inability to string together wins.
Less than three weeks later, Tuesday’s win was LA’s 13th in its last 15 games. The Dodgers have two separate six-game winning streaks during that span, including their current one. They’ve gone from one game ahead of the pack in the NL West to six and a half. No other team in the division has a winning record.
It’s not just that the Dodgers are back to winning ways. It’s the pure dominance that they’ve had over opponents recently. LA has surrendered two or fewer runs in 10 of its last 15 games and has not allowed more than four in any game in that stretch.
During their current winning streak, the Dodgers have outscored opponents 42-11. That includes an 8-0 shutout over the Arizona Diamondbacks and a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was shelled in his MLB debut, coughing up five runs in his only inning of work against the San Diego Padres on March 21. He’s held the opposing lineup scoreless in four of his seven starts since and has a 1.76 ERA with 45 strikeouts and seven walks outside of his first start.
Yamamoto’s confidence is building on an MLB mound. That is a dangerous thing for the rest of the league. Tuesday’s start was his longest in a Dodgers uniform.
Nearly a quarter into the 2024 season, the Dodgers are right where they’re supposed to be. LA is flexing its muscles and proving they’re likely the team to beat in the National League.
More must-reads:
- Giants All-Star pitcher suffers setback in recovery from injury
- Dodgers add recently acquired left-hander to active roster
- The 'No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft' quiz
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