Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Jacob deGrom: A Dazzling Pitcher’s Duel

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jacob deGrom, two of the most prominent pitchers in the game today, squared off against each other on Friday night. It was a pitcher’s duel for the ages as both turned in brilliant performances. The Rangers went 7 innings, surrendering only one run on three hits, and striking out seven. Yamamoto, a tick better, also went 7 innings, allowing no runs on five hits, with 10 strikeouts.

Yamamoto vs. deGrom

The battle of the aces was in full swing at Globe Life Field in Texas. Yamamoto pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers and deGrom went for the Texas Rangers. The two teams are fighting for the top spot in their respective divisions, and Friday’s game did not disappoint.

LA’s starter twirled an absolute gem, cruising through seven innings and keeping a strong Rangers team off the base paths and the board. He threw his devastating splitter 31 times and his fastball 30 times. The vast differences between the two pitches spelled trouble for the Rangers all night. He matched his Major League career high of 10 strikeouts, all while generating 20 swings and misses, the most in his career thus far. 

The only blemish for him was a leadoff home run to Tommy Edman, No. 7, who has been showcasing his newfound power for the Dodgers. After that, he settled down and kept the Dodgers’ offense at bay for seven innings, giving the Rangers a shot at knocking off the defending world champs. The Dodgers ended up with some insurance, adding two runs in the 9th on their way to a 3-0 win.

Notes

Yamamoto is showing why he received the largest and most lucrative contract for a pitcher in Major League history. The Dodgers signed him from the NPB in Japan to the tune of 12 years and $325 million for never throwing a pitch in the Major Leagues. He proved himself last year but has taken a step forward this year. Currently, he is 3-1 with a 0.93 ERA with 38 Ks over 29 innings. 

DeGrom is hoping that he returns to the dominant form he had during his tenure with the New York Mets. He has had some trouble with injuries the last few seasons that have kept him off the mound, but if Friday’s outing is the restart button for him, hitters better watch out.