Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers’ undersized hurler, tore the Reds asunder Tuesday evening in Cincinnati, working seven scoreless innings, striking out seven, and allowing just one hit. This dominant performance came after an uncharacteristically poor start where he walked the first two hitters of the game.
The Shocker Opening Act
Okay, so picture this: Yamamoto steps onto the mound, and you’re thinking, “Here we go, another masterclass.” But nope. He walks Cincinnati leadoff man Carlos Jorge on four *wayward* offerings. Four pitches! It was the first time in his entire stateside tenure he walked the first batter of a game on four pitches. Seriously? Then he followed that up being “over-careful” with Elly De La Cruz, walking him on a 3-1 count. Jorge even reached third base on a sac fly. For a split second, you had to wonder what was happening. This guy is normally a machine, right?
Unlocking The Machine
But that’s the thing about Yamamoto: he’s got that mental toughness. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts put it perfectly, saying Yamamoto “is able to reset on the fly, he’s able to bear down and make pitches when he needs to.” And boy, did he ever. After De La Cruz’s double in the third, Yamamoto just *snapped*. He retired the final 13 hitters he faced like it was nothing. He escaped that messy first frame with no damage, Jorge never got past third. Yamamoto said he was “very calm” and “kept composed,” allowing him to make an “adjustment on time” because he didn’t have his “usual stuff mechanically” at the beginning. That’s next-level self-awareness, man. From that point on, it was just business as usual, a barrage of splitters, curves, and heaters. You blinked, and he was through seven with a big fat zero on the board.
Beyond Belief: His Routine
Part of what makes Yamamoto so special is his insane pregame routine. While other guys are doing their long toss, Yamamoto takes it to another galaxy. After an elaborate stretching program, he’s playing catch, gradually hitting 200, 250, 275, even up to 300 feet. But here’s the kicker: he lets it fly from his *usual in-game windup* without the usual hop-steps. This 5-foot-10, 176-pound dude is catapulting a baseball 100 yards, then just freezes, balancing on one leg. It looks fake, like some lazy AI generation. That balance, intention, and mechanical precision? That’s the magic right there, letting him reset and dominate like he did against the Reds.
What a performance, right? It was almost metronomical how Yamamoto eased through that outing with little trouble, especially after that shocking start. It just goes to show you what incredible talent and mental fortitude can do. This kind of adjustability, this ability to lock in after a hiccup, tells you everything you need to know about the guy. He’s built different, plain and simple.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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