Yoshinobu Yamamoto bent but not broken as Dodgers split series vs. Braves

Last week, Yoshinobu Yamamoto looked almost unstoppable in his long-awaited return from the injured list.

In Monday night's encore at Trueist Park, the rookie Japanese right-hander had to be unstoppable instead.

Yamamoto's leadoff man reached base in all four innings against the Atlanta Braves. All four times they ended up in third place.

But, with the Dodgers winning 9-0 to split the four-game series, Yamamoto avoided each jam by pitching four scoreless innings in another encouraging sign for his October prospects.

“It wasn't as sharp command-wise as his first back, but he made pitches when he needed to,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I like the way she navigates.”

Yamamoto wasn't as crisp as he was Monday in his return from the injured list against the Chicago Cubs last week, when he struck out eight batters and gave up just one unearned run in his first start since battling a strained rotator cuff in three months. .

Against the Braves, Yamamoto didn't replicate his near-perfect fastball command, which contributed to a few walks in the first inning. He sprayed more off-speed pitches, regularly leaving him behind in the count. He also averaged about 95-96 mph with his hitter, a tick down from his adrenaline-fueled return six days earlier, while giving up four hits (three of them for extra bases).

Still, every time his back was against the wall, Yamamoto found a way to respond.

“I focused on one hitter at a time,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter. “And keep calm.”

With runners on the corners in the first, he induced a weak ground ball to end the inning. After both Sean Murphy's leadoff double in the second inning and Ramon Laureano's leadoff triple in the fourth, Yamamoto retired the next three batters.

The $325-million offseason signing only needed some help in the third period. Following Michael Harris II's leadoff single, Jorge Soler hit a double to deep center that Harris attempted to score from first. From second base, however, Keke Hernandez made a perfect tumbling relay throw at the plate, completing a front half flip to gun down Harris in a momentum-shifting sequence.

“The throw was unbelievable,” Roberts said. “It's a tough throw. It's a tough game.”

At the plate, the Dodgers were in full factory mode, scoring nine runs on just four hits while walking seven times and going three for seven with runners in scoring position.

Miguel Rojas scored with a leadoff walk in the third, after avoiding a double-play at second base, stole third and then got a good jump on a wild pitch from Braves starter Max Fried to race home.

Tommy Edman and Rojas both scored to lead off the frame after hitting a double and single, respectively, in the fifth inning.

Then, the Dodgers hung a six-spot against Atlanta's bullpen in the seventh, playing more short ball until Freddie Freeman broke things open with a three-run homer over the short wall down the left field line.

The Dodgers (89-61) are 3½ games ahead of the second-place San Diego Padres in the National League West, their magic number nine to clinch the division crown.

But more importantly, it offered another blueprint for how to potentially win games in October, a Yamamoto-led template almost certain to require for the team to make a serious World Series run.

The Dodgers have many injuries to their pitching staff. Will this make Shohei Ohtani a pitching hero in the playoffs?

“It's a shot in the arm,” Roberts said of Yamamoto's return to the club. “He knows how valuable he is [he is] And what he means to our ballclub. And he delivered. So now these last two start [he will make in the regular season]I feel good that we have got a good foundation. We're almost to the point where we can release him.”

Yamamoto is not without limitations.

He's still in build-up mode, limited to just 72 pitches Monday as he continues to regain strength after his time in the IL.

He's also been very selective with his slider — a pitch known to give him arm problems during Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League — instead throwing it just three times Monday while mixing in more cutters (though he said Monday he wasn't intentionally shying away from it). ).

Before the game, Roberts also confirmed that Yamamoto would not pitch on the usual four days of rest for the remainder of the regular season; Continuing the trend of five-day vacations or even earlier that he was used to in Japan. It's unlikely that Yamamoto, who hasn't pitched on four days' rest all season, will do so in the playoffs.

“It's kind of where we are,” Roberts said. “We have to think about keeping him fresh, sharp, ready, number one. Then fill in the pieces, number two. Shoot, I'd like to have four people who can go on short rests or regular rests. But it is not possible.”

In fact, the Dodgers' pitching staff isn't quite where they hoped it would be this time of year.

Tyler Glassnow's season is over with a sprained elbow. Gavin Stone is almost certain to be sidelined with shoulder inflammation, although he still plans to try to start playing again this week. Clayton Kershaw's status is also unclear as he continues to battle his toe injury.

But the Dodgers still have Jack Flaherty, their top trade deadline acquisition. They are optimistic about Walker Buehler, a proven postseason pitcher who has looked better in recent weeks. And above all, they have Yamamoto, who backed up his big comeback from injury with an equally auspicious, if not equally impressive, second act.

“Musculating through four innings and getting out of huge jams probably boosted his confidence and ours,” Freeman said. “It's a good end to the series and a big confidence boost for everyone here.”

Austin Burns is on the injured list

As expected, backup catcher Austin Burns was placed on the injured list Monday after suffering a broken left big toe the night before. It's the second time in the past two months that Barnes has broken his toe, but the Dodgers are hopeful he'll be able to return before the end of the regular season.

Triple-A catcher Hunter Feduccia was called up to replace Burns on Monday.

“I hope it's one of those things, because of his role, if we can calm it down, put it away, we can get him back in 16 days,” Roberts said. “Hopefully it's not the end of the season for him.”