Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Struggles in Loss to Padres

SAN DIEGO – Yoshinobu Yamamoto was visibly upset.

You could sense it in his expressions, hear it through his tone.

He felt personally accountable for the Dodgers’ 1-0 defeat to the Padres on Monday night at Petco Park.

Forget that he logged seven innings.

Forget that he struck out eight batters.

Forget that he only allowed three hits.

One of those hits was a home run by Miguel Andujar in the first inning, which Yamamoto noted in Japanese “decided the game.”

Yamamoto appeared almost frustrated with himself.

He understood the context—his early inning struggles and his history with home runs. He was facing Michael King, a tough opponent on the mound.

“The opponent’s starting pitcher was really good today, so it was unfortunate to give up a home run like that in the first inning,” Yamamoto said. “I wanted to keep it at 0-0.”

He has only one win in his last six starts, bringing his record this season to three wins and four losses. While he’s shown promise, he’s still seeking that standout performance that would align with his aspirations to clinch the Cy Young Award or secure a starting spot for the Dodgers.

The matchup against King had the potential for a great performance, yet he stumbled again with his early inning troubles.

Yamamoto’s first inning ERA is around 7.00, but if you take out that inning, it drops to about 2.47.

He attempted to improve, but faced this recurring issue during a game where the top position in the National League West was at stake. The Dodgers have slipped in the standings to hold just a half-game lead over the Padres.

The home run marked the ninth he’s given up in nine starts this season; last year he allowed 14 in 30 games.

This time, it was a poorly placed splitter on the inside that Andujar sent over the left field fence. Yamamoto admitted he meant to throw it lower.

“It was a really frustrating mistake,” he expressed.

After throwing 27 pitches in that first inning, Yamamoto managed to recover, pitching a full seventh inning while trying to adjust his pacing.

Though he didn’t go into specifics, Yamamoto mentioned, “I have a clear idea of what I need to do. I think I can improve in that area.”

Others viewed his performance more favorably.

“Yoshinobu made one mistake,” Freddie Freeman noted.

Unfortunately, the Dodgers’ batting lineup didn’t do him any favors. King kept the Dodgers scoreless for seven innings before handing the ball to San Diego’s strong bullpen.

Freeman added, “Facing King, you’re realistically trying to cover a wide range because he mixes pitches effectively. It’s not just about the at-bat, but about various pitch types.”

That said, the Dodgers still had opportunities; in the last four innings, they managed to get runners in scoring position, including in the ninth when Padres closer Mason Miller walked the first two batters.

“Unfortunately, we just couldn’t put anything together,” manager Dave Roberts commented.

This didn’t seem to console Yamamoto, who appeared more troubled by this loss than his previous start against the San Francisco Giants six days ago, where he allowed five runs but had felt optimistic, declaring, “We’re almost there.”

Yet, here he was again, “almost there” and still searching for that breakout moment.