Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto bounced back from his rocky major league debut to throw five scoreless innings in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.
The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, but Yamamoto’s Japanese teammate Shohei Ohtani popped out to shortstop Brandon Craw-ford, drawing a huge sigh from fans who endured a mid-game rain delay at Dodger Stadium.
On March 21, Yamamoto lasted only one inning in Game 2 of the season-opening Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres, giving up five runs and needing about 20 minutes to get out of the inning.
The 25-year-old right-hander, who signed a 12-year deal worth $325 million in the offseason, the most guaranteed money for a pitcher in MLB history, looked like a different pitcher in his Dodger Stadium debut, allowing just two hits and striking out five without a walk.
Yamamoto set the tone by striking out the side in the first inning. He repeatedly got ahead in the count, unlike in South Korea, where he fell behind on the mound.
“I was able to calm down and recover (from my previous outing),” the three-time MVP in Japan’s Pacific League said. “I’m gradually starting to feel good about my pitches, so I went to the mound with confidence. I man-aged to fine-tune my mechanics.”
Freddie Freeman and Will Smith hit back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth to give Yamamoto a 2-0 lead and a chance for his first win in the majors.
But the Cardinals scored five runs in the seventh to make it 5-2 before the Dodgers crawled their way back to take the game into extra innings. In the 10th, Paul Goldschmidt put St. Louis in front again with a groundout.
Ohtani went 1-for-5 with a single, a walk and two strikeouts. Among his fellow “big three” teammates, Mookie Betts homered for the fourth consecutive game and finished with three hits.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Saturday that Lars Nootbaar, who has been side-lined with two fractured rigs, could begin a minor league rehab assignment as soon as Tuesday, according to published reports.
Nootbaar played five innings with no issues in a simulated game at the team’s spring training complex Saturday, and is expected to join Triple-A Memphis for games on Tuesday and Wednesday, MLB.com reported.
Once reactivated, the 26-year-old is expected to be the Cardinals’ everyday leftfielder.
In other action Saturday, Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-1) was charged with three runs in 4-1/3 innings in a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Detroit Tigers right-hander Kenta Maeda also struggled in his first start of the season, surrendering six runs on seven hits, three of them home runs, in 3-1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers nevertheless eked out a 7-6, 10-inning victory.
On Sunday, Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored as the Dodgers rallied in the eighth to beat the Cardinals, 5-4.
In Arlington, Seiya Suzuki delivered two hits including a two-RBI single to help the Chicago Cubs beat the Texas Rangers, 9-5.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed five scoreless innings against the Cardinals Saturday, allowing just two hits with five strikeouts.
The game was deadlocked 5-5 in the top of the ninth inning at Arlington’s Globe Life Field before Ian Happ drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Cubs in front.
Suzuki then lined a single to left field off reliever Jacob Latz to break things open at 8-5. The Japanese outfielder finished the game 2-for-6 with a run scored.
“There were a lot of things that needed improving, but I was able to stay calm and reflect on each previous at-bat as I went into the box,” Suzuki said.
“I also made adjustments at the end and was able to finish off a hittable pitch.”
Happ finished 4-for-5 with two RBIs to lead the Chicago lineup.
Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Boston’s 5-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.
San Diego Padres reliever Yuki Matsui threw a scoreless eighth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one, in a 13-4 win against the San Francisco Giants.
In Chiba, Japan, on Sunday, Lotte Marines flamethrower Roki Sasaki left with a one-run lead but settled for a no-decision in his season debut Sunday after the team allowed the Nippon Ham Fighters to rally late for a 3-2 victory.
The 22-year-old right-hander, who is on the radar of major league scouts, allowed one run and six hits in five innings while striking out seven and walking one at Zozo Marine Stadium.
Sasaki ended his 95-pitch outing by striking out Chusei Mannami with a runner on second after the Fighters cut their deficit to 2-1 earlier in the fifth. His fastball reached as high as 99 miles per hour during the game.
Sasaki threw a perfect game in April 2022 against the Orix Buffaloes.
–Kyodo / Rafu Staff reports