Yamamoto lasts one inning; Dodgers lose
SEOUL — Yoshinobu Yamamoto lasted just one inning in his Dodgers’ debut after signing a record $325 million, 12-year contract, giving up five runs to the Padres in a 15-11 loss on Thursday night.
The 25-year-old righthander trailed, 2-0, after nine pitches and needed 43 pitches to get three outs, leaving with a 45.00 ERA.
“I feel regret that I just couldn’t keep the team in the game from the get-go, so I do feel the responsibility for it,” Yamamoto said through a translator. “I just got to get ready for the next outing.”
San Diego batted around, and Michael Grove relieved Yamamoto with the Dodgers trailing, 5-1.
Yamamoto allowed four hits, walked one, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out two. He threw just 23 pitches for strikes, averaging 95.4 miles per hour with his fastball. He tried 14 fastballs, 11 cutters, 10 curveballs and 8 splitters.
“Just didn’t have the command and so it’s not about the stuff,” Roberts said. “When you’re a command guy, which he’s been his entire career, his life, and you just misfire, get behind in counts, hit batters, that’s just not who he is. He’s an easy guy that you know he’ll bounce back from this.”
Xander Bogaerts singled to left on his first pitch, a 96.6-m.p.h. fastball over the heart of the plate. Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a full-count splitter and Jake Cronenworth tripled into the rightfield corner for a 2-0 lead.
Manny Machado walked, bringing pitching coach Mark Prior to the mound 15 pitches in.
Ha-Seong Kim hit a sacrifice fly, a wild pitch advanced Machado and Jurickson Profar struck out on a cutter.
Luis Campusano hit a bouncer over third base that got under Max Muncy’s glove and went down the line for an RBI double and a 4-0 lead. Tyler Wade hit a run-scoring single to right and Jackson Merrill struck out on an inside curveball.
Yamamoto signed his deal with the Dodgers in December, the largest amount guaranteed to a pitcher.