Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s MLB debut was far from the crowning achievement many hoped it would be.
The Japanese right-handed pitcher got shelled for five runs in the first inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ showdown with the San Diego Padres in Korea on Thursday. The Padres hit through the order, drawing a walk and adding multiple extra-base hits off Yamamoto.
Yamamoto signed a record-breaking 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers in December. Not only was he considered a favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year, but the 25-year-old was also viewed as one of the top contenders to win the NL Cy Young Award.
The hype surrounding Yamamoto started to die down a bit when he went 0-1 with an 8.38 ERA and 1.966 WHIP in Spring Training, but he still struck out 13.0 batters per nine innings across his three starts.
When he got his first regular season nod in Game 2 of the Seoul Series on Thursday, Yamamoto didn't fare much better.
Second baseman Xander Bogaerts got a single in the first at-bat of the game. Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. then got hit by a pitch, setting up a two-RBI triple by first baseman Jake Cronenworth.
Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim plated Cronenworth on a sacrifice fly, then left fielder Jurickson Profar struck out swinging. Instead of getting out of the jam, though, Yamamoto gave up an RBI double to catcher Luis Campusano that bounced right over third base, followed by an RBI single by third baseman Tyler Wade.
Yamamoto finally got out of the inning by striking out 20-year-old rookie Jackson Merrill, who was the No. 9 hitter in San Diego's lineup.
Manager Dave Roberts gave Yamamoto the hook after he came back to the dugout, handing the reins to Michael Grove to start the second.
Yamamoto's final line was one walk, two strikeouts and five earned runs allowed across 1.0 inning on 43 pitches.
The Dodgers allowed five runs in the first inning just one time in 2023. It took them just two games to reach that low point in 2024, thanks to Yamamoto.
Los Angeles' star-studded lineup looked as if it could get some of those runs back in the top of the first, starting with catcher Will Smith's RBI double that drove in Shohei Ohtani, but outfielder James Outman flied out to right with the bases loaded to end the frame.
The Padres now lead 5-2 through two innings.
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