The Japanese monster pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27·Los Angeles Dodgers) seems to have been pushed out of the Cy Young race after failing to maintain the momentum from the early part of the season.

On the 14th (Korean time), Yamamoto started the home game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, in Major League Baseball 2025, struggling with 4⅔ innings, 6 hits, 2 home runs, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 5 earned runs. The Dodgers lost 2-6, marking Yamamoto's 5th loss of the season (6 wins).

Yamamoto allowed a solo home run to Willy Adames in the first inning, giving up the first run. In the third inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, he permitted a grand slam to Casey Schmidt. Immediately after, Yamamoto took off his glove from his left hand and made a motion to throw with his right hand, expressing his disappointment. The five walks set a personal record for most in a single game, indicating his control was shaky.

Although the strike zone of umpire Adam Beck fluctuated significantly, the five walks were inexcusable. Yamamoto left the game after throwing 102 pitches without completing five innings. His strike count was 56, resulting in a strike ratio of only 54.9%.

The Los Angeles Times noted that during his first seven appearances of the season, Yamamoto recorded 4 wins, 2 losses, an earned run average of 0.90, and a WHIP of 0.925. He allowed more than 2 earned runs in only one game. After finishing six scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves on May 3, catcher Will Smith said he pitched like the world's best pitcher. However, it pointed out that currently, Yamamoto appears to be a very different and much more uncertain pitcher.

In his last seven starts, Yamamoto has recorded 2 wins, 3 losses, and an earned run average of 4.46. During this period, he allowed 4 or more earned runs in 3 games, and he failed to pitch more than 5 innings in 2 games. His season earned run average has risen to 2.64, dropping him to 7th in the National League (NL).

The Los Angeles Times analyzed, "The biggest issue for Yamamoto's slump is his command troubles. Recently, over 38⅓ innings, Yamamoto has allowed 17 walks. His signature precise control has disappeared." It also suggested that another reason for his struggles might be the recently shortened rest intervals. In his first 7 games, Yamamoto pitched after at least 6 days of rest. This pattern was similar to his time in Japan when he pitched once a week, but he has since been pitching on 5 days of rest.

After the game, Yamamoto said, "I didn't like any of the pitches I threw. The way I gave up runs was really bad. After giving up the grand slam, I tried to find my rhythm and pitch well. I attempted to switch my mindset emotionally, but I couldn't pitch well until the end." He added, "I need to concentrate on games like this, learn something, and turn it into something positive. I must prepare for my next start."

Dave Roberts, the Dodgers' manager, said, "The stuff itself was fine, but I think he tried to be too precise. It was an inefficient outing," while also commenting on the recent command issues, stating, "I believe it's something that can be fixed. His stuff hasn't declined." Regarding the impact of the 5-day rest, Manager Roberts remarked, "Last year, he had a better record with 5 days of rest (an earned run average of 2.97 over 11 games) than with more than 6 days of rest (3.07 earned run average over 7 games)," indicating that the interval between rest days is not an issue.

Yamamoto's struggles remind us how great Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles) was when he finished 2nd in the Cy Young race in 2019 with the Dodgers and led the NL in earned run average (2.32). That year, Ryu maintained an earned run average in the 1's (1.64) through the first 23 games of the season until August 18 against Atlanta. Up until the game against the Cleveland Guardians on the 27th of last month, Yamamoto had kept an earned run average in the 1's (1.97) over 11 games and was considered a Cy Young candidate, but after June, it skyrocketed to the mid-2's after just 3 games. His ESPN Cy Young points dropped to 66, ranking him 10th in the NL.

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