Friday, May 2, 2025
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2025
On a typical Friday night at Truist Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers inched out the Atlanta Braves 2-to-1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was brilliant for six innings on the thirtieth anniversary of Hideo Nomo’s debut. Despite allowing a solo home run, the Dodgers’ bullpen of Kirby Yates, Tanner Scott, and Evan Phillips was awesome. Will Smith’s sacrifice fly and Mookie Betts’ fifth home run of the year supplied the offense.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was named the National League Pitcher of the Month. During April, he was brilliant with 3 wins, 2 losses, a major league-leading ERA of 1.06, and 43 strikeouts. Compared to last year, when he was a rookie, Yamamoto is more confident.
The Dodgers had three strikeouts in the first.
With an out in the first, Yoshinobu Yamamoto issued a walk, but the inning ended on a double play.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the second.
Yamamoto was perfect in the second.
The Dodgers went down in order in the third.
Yamamoto was again perfect in the third.
With one out in the fourth, Mookie Betts reached on an infield single and went to second on Freddie Freeman’s infield single. Teoscar Hernández walked to load the bases. Will Smith drove in Betts with a sacrifice fly. To end the inning, Max Muncy struck out.
With an out in the fourth, Yamamoto issued a walk. He retired the next two hitters.
The Dodgers went down in order in the fifth.
Yamamoto was perfect in the fifth.
With an out in the sixth, Betts homered. Freddie Freeman walked, but Teoscar Hernández grounded into a double play.
With two outs in the sixth, Yamamoto allowed a double but was stranded.
Will Smith singled to open the seventh but was erased by a double play hit into by Muncy.
Kirby Yates relieved Yamamoto in the seventh and allowed a solo home run. he retired the next three hitters.
To start the eighth, Michael Conforto walked, and Chris Taylor ran for him. Taylor stole second but was stranded.
Tanner Scott relieved Yates in the eighth with a perfect inning as the rain started.
There is a rain delay.
After an hour and thirteen minutes of delay, the game resumed. The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the ninth.
Evan Phillips relieved Scott in the ninth and issued a walk with two outs. He saved the victory, his first since August 31, 2025.
