Yoshinobu Yamamoto spotted Cincinnati two baserunners before he found the strike zone, then turned Great American Ball Park into his own rhythm session. The Dodgers right-hander shook off a ragged first inning and carried Los Angeles through a 4-0 win on Tuesday night.
Yamamoto resets after early walks as Dodgers blank Reds
| Team | R | H |
|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | 4 | — |
| Reds | 0 | 1 |
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
The human note was the recovery. Yamamoto missed the zone with eight of his first nine pitches and walked the first two Reds hitters, the first time in his Major League career he had begun an outing with consecutive walks. It was also his fourth inning this season with more than one walk. After that, he permitted only one of the next 22 Cincinnati hitters to reach base.
Elly De La Cruz supplied the lone hit, a double in the third inning measured at 98.8 mph. Beyond that swing, Yamamoto did not allow another hard-hit ball after the opening frame. He generated 16 swinging strikes across five pitch types, with only his sinker failing to produce a whiff.
Once the first two walks were behind him, Yamamoto needed only eight pitches to finish the inning. Catcher Hunter Feduccia said the adjustment was simple: get the fastball back over the plate, work ahead, and let Yamamoto’s stuff do the rest. Yamamoto said he stayed calm, remained composed, and corrected himself quickly.
Dave Roberts saw the version of his starter the Dodgers expect in October. After the first two hitters, Roberts said, Yamamoto stopped trying to be overly precise and began challenging the Reds. That ability to take a breath, reset and escape trouble without damage is what separates a pitcher who merely survives a bad start from one who can still win it.
Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said hitters have to account for five Yamamoto offerings, an uncomfortable assignment once the right-hander is locating them. The Reds never found a way to disrupt him after De La Cruz’s double.
A September tune-up with October stakes nearby
Yamamoto has been a dependable rotation piece since taking the ball on Opening Day, but his recent run has been especially sharp. He has reached the seventh inning in five straight starts and has completed seven innings in each of his last three. Over 10 second-half outings, he has allowed more than two runs only twice and owns a 1.98 ERA, fifth among Major League pitchers with at least 50 innings in that stretch.
He also enters another postseason push with a reputation built in the previous two Octobers. Tuesday’s game came against a Reds club already out of the playoff race, but the early stumble and clean recovery offered a useful preview of the kind of composure Los Angeles will need soon.
Freddie Freeman returned from a one-game absence caused by right knee soreness and collected three hits. He said the Dodgers have a special pitching staff and that the offense’s job is to provide a few runs, much as it did during last year’s championship run.
Tarik Skubal had opened the four-game series Monday with a three-hit, seven-inning gem, and Yamamoto said watching how Cincinnati’s hitters approached Skubal encouraged him to attack. Blake Snell is scheduled to follow Yamamoto as the Dodgers continue their push toward what would be their 13th NL West crown in 14 seasons. Los Angeles can clinch as soon as Wednesday with a win or a Padres loss.
The Dodgers rode dominant rotation work through consecutive championships and are now chasing a third straight title. Yamamoto’s first nine pitches were messy. His next seven innings were the kind of answer a clubhouse remembers.
SEO Title: Yoshinobu Yamamoto rebounds from early walks in Dodgers’ 4-0 win over Reds
SEO Description: Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked the first two Reds he faced, then allowed one hit over seven innings as the Dodgers beat Cincinnati 4-0 and moved closer to the NL West title.
