Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani stole the show on Saturday as the Dodgers bounced back with a 7-2 victory after suffering a heavy defeat to the Chicago White Sox the day prior.
Ohtani hit his third home run in as many games to begin Saturday’s contest, while Yamamoto produced his magnum opus on the mound this year, flirting with a perfect game and carrying a no-hitter into the ninth. While Tristan Peters ruined Yamamoto’s no-hit bid with a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Yamamoto felt satisfied knowing he was able to pitch that late into the game while providing the bullpen with some much-needed rest, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
“I do feel a little bit regrettable, because I went into the ninth inning and I was not able to achieve a no-hitter,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “I didn’t complete the ninth inning, the no-hitter. But how I was pitching, I was pretty satisfied.”
Ohtani not only started the game with his 14th home run of the season, but he also walked three times as he continues to be one of the game’s best hitters over the last month. It’s an encouraging sign that Ohtani was able to play throughout the full duration of the game considering Ohtani was out on Friday due to left knee inflammation concerns, per Chen.
“I felt good waking up in the morning. I feel good now,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “So I’m pretty confident that I’ll be able to stay healthy, and should be good to go tomorrow as well.”
With the All-Star game just one month away, there will be some questions as to who will start on the mound for the National League squad. Both Ohtani and Yamamoto are destined to become All-Stars again this season, and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times notes that it’ll be a toss-up as to which Dodger will start on the mound for the National League team.
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