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Jul 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Colorado Rockies’ shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (14) strikes out in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images

Rockies Star Ezequiel Tovar Dominates Dodgers Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto Again

Originally posted on Colorado Rockies on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Certain hitters can get the better of certain pitchers. So far, that’s been the case for Colorado Rockies infielder Ezequiel Tovar against Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

For the fourth time in their young careers, Tovar and Yamamoto met on the diamond, this time at Coors Field in Denver. Once again, Tovar worked his magic on Yamamoto, the high-priced Japanese free agent the Dodgers signed before the 2024 season. Tovar went 2-for-4 as the Rockies won, 4-3. But it was what he did against Yamamoto that made everyone pay attention.

Tovar struck out the first time they faced each other in the second inning. In the fourth inning, with the game tied at 2-2, Tovar popped out. It was the first time that Yamamoto had retired the Rockies infielder twice in a game. But, in the seventh inning, Tovar tied the game at 3-3 with a 413-foot home run off Yamamoto, the second time Tovar had gone long off the right-hander in his career.

TOVI POP pic.twitter.com/k1lfUIXmgu
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 19, 2025

Tovar finished the game 1-for-3 against Yamamoto, pushing his career numbers to 7-for-10 against the Dodgers starter. His home run set up the walk-off RBI single by Warming Bernabel in the ninth inning. It scored Tovar, who doubled right before him.

Tovar’s Previous Meetings with Yamamoto

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Yamamoto didn’t join the Majors until last season, so he and Tovar haven’t met that much. But, in their previous three meetings Tovar certainly met the moment and left with the better of the meeting in each contest last season, two of the three of which were in Los Angeles. Tovar was a combined 6-for-7 in those three meetings.

In their first game on June 1 of last season Tovar went 3-for-3 in the game, as he had a double and two singles. Two of the three hits had exit velocities of 100 or more mph. Two of them were ground balls and one was a line drive.

In their second meeting on Sept. 22, the pair faced each other twice as he went 1-for-3 with a single and a strikeout. In the final meeting on Sept. 28 in Colorado, Tovar went 2-for-2 with a home run, which came in the third inning and saw the ball go 429 feet.

About Ezequiel Tovar

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Rockies landed Tovar as an international free agent out of Maracay, Venezuela, in 2017 for an $800,000 signing bonus. At the time he was a switch-hitting infielder but was moved full-time to the right side of the plate as he played his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League in 2018.

Tovar stayed in the U.S. during the COVID shutdown of minor league baseball in 2020 and it helped accelerate his path through the Rockies’ minor league system once play resumed. In 2021 he played for Class-A Fresno and High-A Spokane, drew a spot in the Arizona Fall League and was moved to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

In 2022, he played for Double-A Hartford, appeared in the MLB Futures Game during All-Star Game weekend and played briefly at Triple-A Albuquerque before he was promoted to the Majors in late 2022.

Tovar made the 2023 opening day roster and slashed .253/.287/.408 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI in 153 games. He also had 37 doubles, which led NL rookies and tied the Rockies’ rookie season record with Todd Helton. He was also a finalist for the NL Gold Glove award at shortstop.