Yoshinobu Yamamoto removed his jersey from a plastic bag at Uniqlo Field on Sunday, placing it on a chair in front of his locker.
He then carefully laid the uniform out on a nearby sofa, adding his signature and the date with a silver marker.
This was a special gift for Osamu Yada, his trainer of many years, and his wife.
“It’s our 40th anniversary,” Yamamoto mentioned while also gifting Mr. Yada a game ball and a lineup card.
During the Dodgers’ 9-1 victory over the Phillies, Yamamoto’s performance might not have been standard, yet he appeared unbothered.
The coach’s insights seemed to ring true: the team was finally playing as it should. With three consecutive wins, they celebrated their fifth win in a row.
The Dodgers now hold a five-and-a-half game lead in the National League West, which is a significant jump from just a week ago when the margin was only one and a half games. Their lead seems likely to grow as they tackled some weaknesses over the weekend that could have threatened their success.
Regardless of how long Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow remain out, the team’s starting pitching appears stable.
Justin Robleski and Loki Sasaki addressed key questions about their abilities, such as whether Robleski could maintain his All-Star performance and if Sasaki truly belonged in the majors.
Yamamoto demonstrated that any initial struggles he faced early in the season were behind him. The World Series MVP struck out ten batters in just over five scoreless innings.
After allowing five runs to the Giants a few weeks prior, Yamamoto had positive results, posting a 0.93 ERA in his last three starts.
“It’s getting better and better,” he noted in Japanese.
While his pitch count rose due to some command issues, he felt encouraged by the uptick in his fastball velocity, which averaged an impressive 96.7 mph—exceeding his season average.
“In the bullpen two days ago, I was throwing harder than I thought I would,” he said. “And today too.”
This added velocity proved beneficial as crucial moments unfolded in the game. In the fifth inning, after Justin Crawford’s double left the Phillies with runners on second and third base, Yamamoto struck out Kyle Schwarber with a 97.5 mph fastball, followed by a strikeout against Trey Turner with a 95.9 mph sinker.
Enhanced fastball velocity became a recurring theme throughout the weekend, as both Robleski and Sasaki displayed improved power on the mound.
Robleski, typically a contact pitcher, began exhibiting more speed and entered the game with a fastball reaching 97 mph. He ultimately recorded a season-high average speed of 94.9 mph, while keeping the Phillies scoreless over seven innings and achieving nine strikeouts—another personal best.
“I feel like it’s kind of the missing piece,” he reflected on his fastball. “Honestly, I feel more confident and able to go out and attack more.”
Sasaki also found his fastball again, a pitch that had once made him a top prospect. After facing difficulties at the start of the season, he showed signs of revival during his tenth start in the majors, hitting 100 mph twice—marking the first time a major league starter reached such velocities since facing the Dodgers last year in Japan.
His average fastball velocity improved to 98.5 mph, notably 1.5 mph faster than his prior season average, with 14 of the 38 fastballs thrown exceeding 99 mph.
“It was the game where I pitched the most like myself,” Sasaki expressed in Japanese.
Taking two of three from last year’s National League Division Series opponent was significant, but the standout performances from Robleski and Sasaki were particularly impressive. This should help ensure that the rotation can endure the absence of Glasnow and Snell, with the potential for them to even excel.
