October 26, 2025 • 31 mins
Richard recaps Game 2 of the 2025 World Series, with Los Angeles Dodgers ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivering a stand-out performance that's put him in company with Dodger pitching legends — and that evens the series against the Blue Jays at 1-1.
Then, we revisit our portrait of Yamamoto from last season, "Yo Yo Yamamoto!": "Yoshinobu Yamamoto was supposed to be the Dodgers golden boy in 2024. But he missed most of the season with a rotator cuff injury. His return comes at a time of uncertainty for the Dodgers starting rotation, in the middle of the fight for the NL West title, with October just around the corner."
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Dodger Blue Dream. I'm Richard Parks the Third.
It is Sunday, October twenty six, twenty twenty five, and
the Dodgers have tied the Jays in the World Series,
winning last night's game handily five to one.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Travel day for the Fall Classic.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Dodgers and Blue Jays are headed back to Los Angeles,
where games three through five will be held, and for
so much of the game last night, that score was
locked up at one to one. A classic postseason pitchers
duel with two studs on the mound duking it out,
Kevin Goussman for the Jays and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
We're matching one another inning for inning.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
After letting in a run apiece early on, both hurlers
tuned to a dominant frequency and it was a question
of whose offense could strike first and maybe get into
the bullpen, a weak area on both sides.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
All for fourteen on that four scene fastball who blinks first?
Seventeen straight retired by Gozman. The Dodgers got their run
back to back two out hits in the first inning
Freeman Doublin will Smith, who comes up here as single.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
When Will Smith dug in to face Kevin Goussman for
the third time in the top of the seventh inning,
the Dodgers catcher knew that Goussman had been throwing him
nothing but four seam fastballs all night, nibbling at the
bottom of the zone. That was the key to Gousman's
success last night. He'd been locating this pitch expertly. But
(01:41):
Smithy had connected in both of his first two at bats,
driving in the loan Dodgers run with a single in
the first inning and flying out to right field in
the fourth.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
First one to Smith, fastball inside nothing. Smith takes a
shrow one one but all four seam fastball.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Smitty fouls went off on his first swing of the
at bat, and it's.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Three and two. The three two, four seam fastball.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
But this one wasn't nibbling the lower half of the zone. Instead,
it was up and on the inner half of the plate.
Smitty clocks it, pulls his massive muscular arms in just
a scoch and goes into a short, compact swing and
(02:38):
then he watches it fly.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
High, drive tape.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
To a field.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
The Smith with it.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
That swing into the.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Second des He's giving the Dodgers the.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Lead of the show.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Parance of the Dodgers, dugout, flips the bat aside and
lets out a roar. The ball landed in the bleacher
some four hundred and four feet away. The Dodgers had
the lead and there was no looking back. Gausman made
another mistake to Max Munsey later that inning that had
(03:12):
the same result.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Fastball lifted in the air deep left field.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Lucas joined back bis flum Max Muson with a second
Soto shot at.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
The eddioting and as he rounds the bases, Monsey holds
up his index finger to his lips and goes sh
to the Toronto crowd. And from that point on the
game was Yoshinobu yamamotos there goes.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
It's a curve that falls in for strike three. Strike
three called on Barger. Fastball in there at the knees down,
this time on the high fastball.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Fastball splitty twelve to six curve. Yamamoto had all of
his pitches working for him, boxing by.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
The short from Muki's routine for Muncie boumps back to him.
Yamamoto's got it takes his time.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yamamoto ended up going the distance a complete game, and
for the last seven or so innings, none of the
Jays did nothing. Yamamoto retired twenty in a row. In
a game of inches, where a slight mistake can cost you,
he was close to perfect, this being his second consecutive
(04:33):
complete game in the postseason. Yoshi is now in a
category with Oral Sandy on the most legendary and iconic
Dodgers pictures of all time. And the Boys in Blue
were headed back to Los Angeles, now tied with the
Jays one to one after that horrible blowout in Game one.
(04:57):
It was the vibe shift that we needed so desperate,
and it's all thanks to Yoshi Nobu Yamamoto. And look,
here's the deal on a team of superstars. Maybe Yama
is getting a little bit lost in the mix, slightly
in the shadows behind the show haze. The mookis the Freddy's,
even the Kershaws. But this Game two performance and its
(05:21):
historical significance is getting a ton of very well deserved
media attention for Yamamoto, who is somewhat quietly arguably the
best pitcher in the National League, and he'll probably finish
second in Cy Young voting to Paul Skeins. The yams
is just in his second year as a Dodger, his
second year in the major leagues, having already had an
(05:43):
amazing career in Japan. So we're just getting to know
this charming young fella. But with his ten year contract,
we're going to be spending a lot of time with
this guy. So today on the show, we're going to
focus on Yoshi Nobu Yamamoto by rebroadcasting one of our
episodes from last season, Yo Yo Yamamoto. As with all
(06:08):
of our portraits of the boys in Blue, these things
are ever green in nature. You can listen to them
anytime and they'll be just as relevant. So as we
have a day off from the world series today, I
wanted to put this together for you, Yammo, yoshinam.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Sino Bir.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Thanks for tuning in to Dodger Blue Dream. I'm Richard
Parks the third today's episode, Yo Yo Yamamoto.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
After a short break, it time for Dodger Base.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Mid time residents have it forced to evacuate as the
line fire in San Bernardino County continues to growl.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
With the record break and keep wave causing power problems
across southern California.
Speaker 6 (07:21):
Harrison, former President Trump will be facing off in Philadelphia tonight.
They're going to be debating at a pivotal time with
just reas development.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
On the election.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
September tenth, twenty twenty four, with the temperature dipping below
triple digits for the first time all week, a cool
breeze wafted through Chavez Ravine. The San Gabriel Mountains shone bright,
backgrounded in the distance by massive smoke clouds, chrome and
(07:57):
pink from the nearby fires. It was Guatemalan Heritage Night
at Dodger Stadium, and the vibes were high, because they
always are at the ballpark, a welcome escape from the
anxieties of present day life. But there was extra excitement
for Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs because we
were going to see Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Pitch Cub said can
(08:30):
this season, our starting pitching has been a constant source
of anxiety for Dodger fans. Our staff has been plagued
by injuries and uncertainties all season long. You cannot go
deep in the postseason without a great starting rotation. And
now October is just around the corner. Yams was supposed
(08:51):
to be our golden boy, but after a solid start
to his season, he'd been out now for more than
three months with a rotator cuff injury, and in Yamamoto's absence,
things have gone from bad to worse.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
We can't win the World Series without his help.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
What would he be capable of in his first start
against major league hitting since before the summer solstice? Would
his fastball have speed, would his splitter deceive? Would his
curve fall off the table or would it linger too
long in the strike zone only to be walloped into
the pavilion by one of the Cubbies sluggers. This start
(09:31):
was a test good or bad. I knew that I
had to be there in person to witness. Welcome to
Dodger Blue Dream. I'm Richard Parks the third Today's episode,
yo Yo Yamamoto.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
This MiLB off season free agency is going to be
dominated by Yoshi Nobu Yamamoto.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
When it was announced that Yamamoto would be making the
jump from Nippon Professional Baseball, the Major League equivalent in
Japan to the US this past offseason, Yama was coming
off of one of the most impressive three years since.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
In the history of pitching, Yamamoto is the ace of
the ORX Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
He had won the Pacific League Most Valuable Player Award
three times.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
He had won the A. G.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Sawamura Award, the equivalent of the Sayng Award, three times,
and he had won the Triple Crown three times. He
had led his league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA three times.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
He is also a World champion and a Gold medalist.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Throw in a couple of no hitters for good measures.
And Yamamoto had done all of this by the tender
age of twenty five. That's insane. In the face of
these accomplishments, there is no other player or person to
compare him to, and given his youth, it's conceivable that
(11:31):
the best is still yet to come.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
We're talking easily the most hyped up Japanese prospect since
Shoho Tani.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Naturally, every major league team was interested in Yamamoto's contract,
and his free agency had much of the same buzz
of his countrymen's Shoheyo Tanis.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
I've never seen a free agency like Otani's.
Speaker 6 (11:52):
There's never been someone who's so committed to not telling us.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I say, both of these figures were mysterious for Shohey
and his representatives. Secrecy was a negotiating tactic for Yamamoto.
We just hadn't seen this guy much.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
Winner of this game takes coolb and advances to the quarterfinals.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
But we had seen him pitch during the World Baseball
Classic in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Another game, Another Japanese phenom.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
And the first thing that stood out to me about
him was his modest stature.
Speaker 8 (12:27):
One hundred and seventy pounds.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
My goodness, most prolific strikeout pitcher in PB. Janelly cannot
hold up.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
That's three and strike out number one for Yamaoto, and
he has a peculiar delivery.
Speaker 8 (12:41):
One thing that'll jump out at you when watching Yamamoto
is a unique pitching mechanics. You can see Yamamoto throws
out of a slidestep in lieu of a big leg
lift in his wind.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Up, starting with his hands at the letters of his uniform,
and then with a relatively subtle lead kick, he kind
of twists and coils his body back to then propel
his weight forward off the mound.
Speaker 8 (13:01):
He said he ditched his leg lift because he felt
like he was getting stuck and instead now focuses on
his weight transfer and in the end there's no weight
left on his back leg. He models his mechanics after
javelin throwers mechanics.
Speaker 7 (13:14):
It's different than what the hitters used to so from
a timing standpoint, it I mean it throws it off
and watching him pitch, he immediately struck me as an
impish menace to too Froze Glenn Dinning. Two strikeouts in
the first inning for Yamamogo retired this first sixties faced tonight.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yamahodo strikes out wind Row. He's got two k's in
every inning, eight total.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
William Dolan.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
His pitches have crazy movement, and there are a lot
of them. A four seam fastball that explodes with late life,
as if it run over one of those turbo charging
speed strips on Mario Kart, a splitter that tumbles off
the table just before where it crosses the plate like
a train running off the tracks. And a slow sweeping
(14:06):
curveball that bends like a rubber band. Throwing a two
seam fastball plus a cutter for good measure, and Yamamoto's
arsenal is two to three times that of the typical
major league pitcher. Watching him pitch, it's hard not to
think of the Japanese concept of shokunu. He is a
craftsman on the highest level, an artisan on the mound,
(14:27):
with a modest, minimal, sui generous style you just don't
see in American pitchers.
Speaker 7 (14:34):
One strike away, that's three and that's four wins for
Japan and pool be the top team in their pool
the twenty twenty three World Baseball Classic.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
After I'd seen him pitch, my mind was set. I
wanted him ad.
Speaker 8 (15:01):
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is going to be one of the
highest paid free agents this offseason.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
There's not really any specified geographic location that he reportedly favors.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
With Shohy Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the story of the offseason
this year. Where would these players sign and for how
much money? It was the source of constant speculation and
conversation in the baseball world all winter long, and then
on December eleventh.
Speaker 8 (15:29):
Oh Tani makes his decision known on his Instagram page.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
After the Dodgers signed show Hey, we were all of
course elated, but the money Show Hey was getting was insane.
At seven hundred million dollars, it was the largest contract
in sports history, and it ended up being about two
hundred million more than anybody had initially thought it would be.
And even a team like the Dodgers has somewhat limited resources.
(15:57):
And in the meantime, Yamamoto was linked to so many
other teams. He was in New York meeting with the Mets,
he was in Chicago meeting with the Cubs, he was
in San Francisco, and of course the Yankees were in
on it. It just didn't seem likely that, especially after
getting show heyed, we'd be able to sign Yamamoto as well.
I was tempering my desires, thinking during those weeks in
(16:20):
mid December, I need to work on letting go. You
can't get everything in life. But then on the third
day of Christmas, December twenty seventh, we got it done.
Speaker 9 (16:32):
We got the deal done.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
Looking good, not even baseball season, but the Los Angeles
Dodgers are making a big splash for the second time
this month.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Three French hens and one historic baseball talent from Japan.
We'll be right back, Welcome back to the show.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
There's a new evil empire. It seems like the Dodgers
are trying to just take over the Baseball World right now,
Yamamoto came at a steep price.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
However, according to multiple reports, the team has agreed to
a twelve year, three hundred and twenty five million dollar
contract with prize Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yawamoto, the.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Most lucrative contract ever awarded to a pitcher in Major
League Baseball history. Twelve years, three hundred and twenty five
million smack arews for a twenty five year old who
had yet to throw a single pitch in the major leagues.
And so the Dodgers free agency tally on just these
(17:55):
two coveted Japanese free agents alone skyrocketed well north of
one billion dollars. With a bee please join me and
officially introducing number eighteen Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
(18:15):
Of course, knowing that I would be doing this podcast
episode the following September, I tuned in for Yoshinobu Yamamoto's
introductory press conference and immediately I liked his vibe. There
was the strong fashion choice a blue checked three piece
plaid suit, a pretty baller looking wristwatch, and conversely to
(18:36):
the somewhat shy retreating and reticent Shohe who had been
introduced just weeks before. Yamamoto was smiling wide, soaking up
the limelight in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I am beyond ecstatic to become a member of.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
This historic franchise, and he had even prepared a statement
to read in English. Pictures They're always hands and Yoshinobu
capped off his day by doing some shopping at the
Dodger's merch store at the stadium, and then posted a
video of himself holding up two big bags stuffed full
(19:15):
of gear. In a day, he had won our hearts.
Our goal is just to have Yoshino would be the
best version of Yoshinobu all year and especially when we
get to October. Over the course of spring training, Yoshinobu
became one of my favorite people to watch. In addition
(19:36):
to his unconventional mechanics, there were these unusual workout routines.
This was briefly mentioned earlier, but Yoshinobu trains as a
javelin thrower, and so before his starts you see him
out on the field launching a javelin across the green.
These clips became popular online with Dodger fans, but obviously,
(19:57):
Yamamoto was not here to become an Instagram sensation or
a track and field guy. He was here to help
us win baseball games, and with Tyler glassnow to be
the ace of the Dodgers' pitching staff, glassnow had signed
a five year, one hundred and thirty six million dollar
extension in the offseason, and so along with Glass, Yams
(20:20):
was expected to carry the pitching staff throughout this season
throughout the entire decade. Historically, Japanese pitchers have a bit
of trouble making the leap to major league play for
a few reasons. First, there's the burden of the workload.
(20:41):
Japanese starters pitch every sixth day. Here in the US
rotations turnover every five days. American pitchers tend to throw
at much higher velocities too, and generally the job of
pitching in Major League baseball is more physically demanding than
it is in Nippon Professional baseball. A. Major league pitchers
(21:01):
also tend to throw fewer pitches as a result of this,
It's just a different style of play.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
And that's not all. There's also the baseball itself.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
The ball we used here in the US is slightly
bigger than the one used in Japan, and Japan's ball
also has some tackiness intentionally added to the surface ahead
of time, which helps with grips and adding movement to pitches.
And last, there is the hitting style and skill level difference.
Some say that the japan League is equivalent to Triple
(21:33):
A Baseball in the US. Major League hitters are accustomed
to hitting higher velocities, and they generate a lot more
power and hit more home runs generally speaking than Japanese hitters.
They tend to be bigger and stronger, and so Japanese
baseball on the whole focuses on what's known as small ball,
with more emphasis on moving guys over contact hitting and
(21:57):
less focus on the home run than there is here
in the States. So a Japanese pitcher coming to the
major leagues has a different set of things to worry about,
and certainly would have to learn how to adjust his
approach in order to get guys out, which meant that
in spite of all that hype, Yamamoto was not a
sure thing, and.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
That is stripped and that one is down and it's
gonna get all the way to the wall.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
And during his first start on just the second game
of the season. During the Soul Series, Yamamoto got shell and.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
A triple for a crown and worth.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
This one's gonna challenge Munci fair ball and I want
to smoke to right Haywhard.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
It is not gonna get it.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Yamamoto gives up another one, a single. It is five
to nother.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Thing is cap Gusano comes in.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
But after that first start, Yamamoto settled into major league
life quickly and seamlessly, becoming one of the game's top starters.
And with Tyler glasnow carrying the Dodgers pitching.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Staff, he struck him out as a curve falls over
the corner. A fastball strikes Lame strikes him out with
a fastball in a curve ball to get him out
of the zam again.
Speaker 8 (23:12):
Travel back through this rivalry and it's eleven World Series.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Take a ride to the Bronx.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
When the Dodgers faced off against the Yankees in June
in New York, Yamamoto had a chance to prove himself
on a big stage.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Now he's made twelve starts. They've been pretty good ones.
Speaker 6 (23:29):
Oh, the last eleven have been outstanding, only six and
one with the two six ears.
Speaker 9 (23:33):
Swings and misses on that slide piece from Yamamoto. It's
a strikeout to end the first for Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Holloight, that fastball has some life today.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
He's been averaging around ninety six ninety seven.
Speaker 9 (23:46):
Football swinging a miss bifold pieces. Fourth strikeout already or Yamamoto.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yamamoto threw the fastest pitch of his MLB career that
day in the Bronx. He struck out seven, allowed just
two hits, and used one hundred and six pitches to
shut out a lineup that included Aaron Judge through seven innings.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Rounds went the second base handled my luck slip defense
for one o the first two.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
As a harbinger for what Yamamoto would be doing for
the rest of the season and as a precedent for
a postseason start. Under the bright lights of October, this
was as good as one could hope for.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
You could just see it.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he felt it, he knew
we needed it, and it brought out the best in him.
But then after the best start of his major league career,
we got the bad news. Yams was hurt. Rotator cuff injury.
Speaker 10 (24:52):
When he got injured, he was devastating, absolutely devastating. We
just picked him up.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
He was out for three months off the season, and
in that time, over the course of June, July and August,
our starting pitching situation went from bad to worse. We
really haven't had many dependable guys over the course of
twenty twenty four, and given that Yamamoto was signed as
a premier starter with all of the expectations for longevity
(25:20):
and clutch performance that come with that, his absence was
constantly felt and Dodger fans got down in the dumps
about it.
Speaker 10 (25:28):
A lot of haters talking and you overpaid and blah blah.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Blah and Wusi wu and I heard from Wes about
this one.
Speaker 10 (25:35):
Yeah, So that sucked. Not having him around for three
months was really difficult, especially with the culmination of you know,
all these other guys getting injured and all these other
guys tanking and not being so good, and you know,
expecting more from guys like Dueler and Bobby Miller, and
it's taking them a really long time to get it together.
It's frustrating. It's frustrating.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
As August turned to September, the reality sank in that
if Yams didn't return strong, there was no way for
the Dodgers to make a deep postseason run. The Dodgers
are in a very tight race to win the NL West,
and generally speaking, it's good to go into the postseason
(26:19):
with at least three solid looking starters. Our trade deadline
pickup Jack Flaherty looks capable of holding down one of
those spots, but as to who will join him in
those second and third spots, it's still at this point
totally uncertain. After Monday, there are only twelve games left
in the regular season, during which time we'd hope to
(26:40):
see these two more pitchers step up and prove themselves.
We were all holding out hope that Tyler Glasnow would
return after being on the IL since early August, but
on Saturday it was announced that his season was likely over.
Gavin Stone, who had been our hem rock, has also
fallen to an arm injury in his rookie year, and
(27:02):
we don't know when he'll return. Clayton Kershaw has turf
toe a bone spur in his left foot, and Landon
Nak another rookie who was emerging as an unlikely candidate
for the top of the rotation, had his worst start
of the year against the Braves on Friday, giving up
six runs. Yeah, you know, I.
Speaker 11 (27:28):
Think with Yoshinobu, he's back pitching in a major League
game on independent race. I expect his mind to be
in that compete mode. I don't think anyone knows where
his stuff is going to be as far as commanding
of the fastball of the secondary. I'm betting on the
fact that the lights are on and he's going to
go out there and show well.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
The organization set modest expectations for Yamamoto's first start back
fifty sixty pitches at the most, and at the very
most four innings of work. He wasn't built up yet.
He wasn't physically ready to give it his all or
to max out the way that he had in New
York in June. As I settled into my seat on
(28:17):
Tuesday night, gazing up at Yamamoto's forty foot tall face
projected on the JumboTron above the right field pavilion, I
moled over my own expectations.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Me.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I just didn't want to see anything heartbreaking happen. No injuries, please,
And I didn't want to see him get sheld.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
He in half climbs in. Yamamoto threw his wind and
off we go with a fastball at ninety seven, crisply
to the outside corners.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Strike one. But then Yamamoto was very sharp.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
There's the car man, then the splitter downstairs, one and
two on half.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
His three most important pitches, the four seemer, the splitter,
and the curveball were all working well for him that night.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Strikes out the side. It is first jenny in forty months.
There's this thing in Dodger Land.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
If the Dodgers' pitching staff combines to get seven strikeouts
the next day, everybody is entitled to free jumbo jacks
jack in the boxes version of a big mac at
area jack in the boxes with the purchase of a
large drink. Sometimes it takes several pitchers to combine to
get to jumbo jacks. Sometimes the Dodgers' staff doesn't get
(29:32):
to jumbo jacks at all. But on Tuesday, even given
the modest expectations for his first start back, Yamamoto got
us jumbo jacks himself in just his third inning of work.
In all, he got through those four innings cleanly. It
was the very maximum of what the team had hoped
he'd do in his first start back.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Did we win the game?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
No, things got messy for other reasons, but a starting
pitcher can only do so much. We'll see how Yam's
fares during his next start, which is on Monday against
the Atlanta Braves. They have a lineup of mashers, so
it will be another test. In our next episode, we'll
take a closer look at the story of Walker Buehler,
(30:16):
a proven postseason starting pitcher who's helped the Dodgers win
championships in the past, who is attempting a comeback after
a second major elbow surgery. How will this billion dollar
team look if we don't make it all the way? Already,
the cries on social media for manager Dave roberts Head
(30:37):
have been getting loud. In the meantime, let's hope that
Yamamoto can continue to be strong in his remaining regular
season starts. There's nothing I'd like more than to see
this guy take us all the way. Dodger Blue Dream
(30:58):
is written and produced by me Richard Parks Thid. This
episode was story edited by Jordan Bass and Caitlin Esh,
with production assistants from Tyler Hill. Original music in this
episode by Jonathan Snipes, William Ryan Fritch, The Blasting Company,
and by me. If you like the show, please help
(31:19):
me spread the word. With your help, we've made it
past our modest goal of one hundred ratings on Apple Podcasts.
But let's not stop there. Let's take over the world.
Thank you for your support and thanks for listening. Dodger
Blue Dream is produced in partnership with Iheart's Michael Tura
podcast network. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app,
(31:42):
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Dodger Blue Dream. I'm Richard Parks the Third.
It is Sunday, October twenty six, twenty twenty five, and
the Dodgers have tied the Jays in the World Series,
winning last night's game handily five to one.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Travel day for the Fall Classic.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Dodgers and Blue Jays are headed back to Los Angeles,
where games three through five will be held, and for
so much of the game last night, that score was
locked up at one to one. A classic postseason pitchers
duel with two studs on the mound duking it out,
Kevin Goussman for the Jays and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
We're matching one another inning for inning.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
After letting in a run apiece early on, both hurlers
tuned to a dominant frequency and it was a question
of whose offense could strike first and maybe get into
the bullpen, a weak area on both sides.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
All for fourteen on that four scene fastball who blinks first?
Seventeen straight retired by Gozman. The Dodgers got their run
back to back two out hits in the first inning
Freeman Doublin will Smith, who comes up here as single.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
When Will Smith dug in to face Kevin Goussman for
the third time in the top of the seventh inning,
the Dodgers catcher knew that Goussman had been throwing him
nothing but four seam fastballs all night, nibbling at the
bottom of the zone. That was the key to Gousman's
success last night. He'd been locating this pitch expertly. But
(01:41):
Smithy had connected in both of his first two at bats,
driving in the loan Dodgers run with a single in
the first inning and flying out to right field in
the fourth.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
First one to Smith, fastball inside nothing. Smith takes a
shrow one one but all four seam fastball.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Smitty fouls went off on his first swing of the
at bat, and it's.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Three and two. The three two, four seam fastball.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
But this one wasn't nibbling the lower half of the zone. Instead,
it was up and on the inner half of the plate.
Smitty clocks it, pulls his massive muscular arms in just
a scoch and goes into a short, compact swing and
(02:38):
then he watches it fly.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
High, drive tape.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
To a field.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
The Smith with it.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
That swing into the.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Second des He's giving the Dodgers the.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Lead of the show.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Parance of the Dodgers, dugout, flips the bat aside and
lets out a roar. The ball landed in the bleacher
some four hundred and four feet away. The Dodgers had
the lead and there was no looking back. Gausman made
another mistake to Max Munsey later that inning that had
(03:12):
the same result.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Fastball lifted in the air deep left field.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Lucas joined back bis flum Max Muson with a second
Soto shot at.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
The eddioting and as he rounds the bases, Monsey holds
up his index finger to his lips and goes sh
to the Toronto crowd. And from that point on the
game was Yoshinobu yamamotos there goes.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
It's a curve that falls in for strike three. Strike
three called on Barger. Fastball in there at the knees down,
this time on the high fastball.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Fastball splitty twelve to six curve. Yamamoto had all of
his pitches working for him, boxing by.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
The short from Muki's routine for Muncie boumps back to him.
Yamamoto's got it takes his time.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yamamoto ended up going the distance a complete game, and
for the last seven or so innings, none of the
Jays did nothing. Yamamoto retired twenty in a row. In
a game of inches, where a slight mistake can cost you,
he was close to perfect, this being his second consecutive
(04:33):
complete game in the postseason. Yoshi is now in a
category with Oral Sandy on the most legendary and iconic
Dodgers pictures of all time. And the Boys in Blue
were headed back to Los Angeles, now tied with the
Jays one to one after that horrible blowout in Game one.
(04:57):
It was the vibe shift that we needed so desperate,
and it's all thanks to Yoshi Nobu Yamamoto. And look,
here's the deal on a team of superstars. Maybe Yama
is getting a little bit lost in the mix, slightly
in the shadows behind the show haze. The mookis the Freddy's,
even the Kershaws. But this Game two performance and its
(05:21):
historical significance is getting a ton of very well deserved
media attention for Yamamoto, who is somewhat quietly arguably the
best pitcher in the National League, and he'll probably finish
second in Cy Young voting to Paul Skeins. The yams
is just in his second year as a Dodger, his
second year in the major leagues, having already had an
(05:43):
amazing career in Japan. So we're just getting to know
this charming young fella. But with his ten year contract,
we're going to be spending a lot of time with
this guy. So today on the show, we're going to
focus on Yoshi Nobu Yamamoto by rebroadcasting one of our
episodes from last season, Yo Yo Yamamoto. As with all
(06:08):
of our portraits of the boys in Blue, these things
are ever green in nature. You can listen to them
anytime and they'll be just as relevant. So as we
have a day off from the world series today, I
wanted to put this together for you, Yammo, yoshinam.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Sino Bir.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Thanks for tuning in to Dodger Blue Dream. I'm Richard
Parks the third today's episode, Yo Yo Yamamoto.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
After a short break, it time for Dodger Base.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Mid time residents have it forced to evacuate as the
line fire in San Bernardino County continues to growl.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
With the record break and keep wave causing power problems
across southern California.
Speaker 6 (07:21):
Harrison, former President Trump will be facing off in Philadelphia tonight.
They're going to be debating at a pivotal time with
just reas development.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
On the election.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
September tenth, twenty twenty four, with the temperature dipping below
triple digits for the first time all week, a cool
breeze wafted through Chavez Ravine. The San Gabriel Mountains shone bright,
backgrounded in the distance by massive smoke clouds, chrome and
(07:57):
pink from the nearby fires. It was Guatemalan Heritage Night
at Dodger Stadium, and the vibes were high, because they
always are at the ballpark, a welcome escape from the
anxieties of present day life. But there was extra excitement
for Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs because we
were going to see Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Pitch Cub said can
(08:30):
this season, our starting pitching has been a constant source
of anxiety for Dodger fans. Our staff has been plagued
by injuries and uncertainties all season long. You cannot go
deep in the postseason without a great starting rotation. And
now October is just around the corner. Yams was supposed
(08:51):
to be our golden boy, but after a solid start
to his season, he'd been out now for more than
three months with a rotator cuff injury, and in Yamamoto's absence,
things have gone from bad to worse.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
We can't win the World Series without his help.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
What would he be capable of in his first start
against major league hitting since before the summer solstice? Would
his fastball have speed, would his splitter deceive? Would his
curve fall off the table or would it linger too
long in the strike zone only to be walloped into
the pavilion by one of the Cubbies sluggers. This start
(09:31):
was a test good or bad. I knew that I
had to be there in person to witness. Welcome to
Dodger Blue Dream. I'm Richard Parks the third Today's episode,
yo Yo Yamamoto.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
This MiLB off season free agency is going to be
dominated by Yoshi Nobu Yamamoto.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
When it was announced that Yamamoto would be making the
jump from Nippon Professional Baseball, the Major League equivalent in
Japan to the US this past offseason, Yama was coming
off of one of the most impressive three years since.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
In the history of pitching, Yamamoto is the ace of
the ORX Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
He had won the Pacific League Most Valuable Player Award
three times.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
He had won the A. G.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Sawamura Award, the equivalent of the Sayng Award, three times,
and he had won the Triple Crown three times. He
had led his league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA three times.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
He is also a World champion and a Gold medalist.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Throw in a couple of no hitters for good measures.
And Yamamoto had done all of this by the tender
age of twenty five. That's insane. In the face of
these accomplishments, there is no other player or person to
compare him to, and given his youth, it's conceivable that
(11:31):
the best is still yet to come.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
We're talking easily the most hyped up Japanese prospect since
Shoho Tani.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Naturally, every major league team was interested in Yamamoto's contract,
and his free agency had much of the same buzz
of his countrymen's Shoheyo Tanis.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
I've never seen a free agency like Otani's.
Speaker 6 (11:52):
There's never been someone who's so committed to not telling us.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I say, both of these figures were mysterious for Shohey
and his representatives. Secrecy was a negotiating tactic for Yamamoto.
We just hadn't seen this guy much.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
Winner of this game takes coolb and advances to the quarterfinals.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
But we had seen him pitch during the World Baseball
Classic in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Another game, Another Japanese phenom.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
And the first thing that stood out to me about
him was his modest stature.
Speaker 8 (12:27):
One hundred and seventy pounds.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
My goodness, most prolific strikeout pitcher in PB. Janelly cannot
hold up.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
That's three and strike out number one for Yamaoto, and
he has a peculiar delivery.
Speaker 8 (12:41):
One thing that'll jump out at you when watching Yamamoto
is a unique pitching mechanics. You can see Yamamoto throws
out of a slidestep in lieu of a big leg
lift in his wind.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Up, starting with his hands at the letters of his uniform,
and then with a relatively subtle lead kick, he kind
of twists and coils his body back to then propel
his weight forward off the mound.
Speaker 8 (13:01):
He said he ditched his leg lift because he felt
like he was getting stuck and instead now focuses on
his weight transfer and in the end there's no weight
left on his back leg. He models his mechanics after
javelin throwers mechanics.
Speaker 7 (13:14):
It's different than what the hitters used to so from
a timing standpoint, it I mean it throws it off
and watching him pitch, he immediately struck me as an
impish menace to too Froze Glenn Dinning. Two strikeouts in
the first inning for Yamamogo retired this first sixties faced tonight.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yamahodo strikes out wind Row. He's got two k's in
every inning, eight total.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
William Dolan.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
His pitches have crazy movement, and there are a lot
of them. A four seam fastball that explodes with late life,
as if it run over one of those turbo charging
speed strips on Mario Kart, a splitter that tumbles off
the table just before where it crosses the plate like
a train running off the tracks. And a slow sweeping
(14:06):
curveball that bends like a rubber band. Throwing a two
seam fastball plus a cutter for good measure, and Yamamoto's
arsenal is two to three times that of the typical
major league pitcher. Watching him pitch, it's hard not to
think of the Japanese concept of shokunu. He is a
craftsman on the highest level, an artisan on the mound,
(14:27):
with a modest, minimal, sui generous style you just don't
see in American pitchers.
Speaker 7 (14:34):
One strike away, that's three and that's four wins for
Japan and pool be the top team in their pool
the twenty twenty three World Baseball Classic.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
After I'd seen him pitch, my mind was set. I
wanted him ad.
Speaker 8 (15:01):
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is going to be one of the
highest paid free agents this offseason.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
There's not really any specified geographic location that he reportedly favors.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
With Shohy Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the story of the offseason
this year. Where would these players sign and for how
much money? It was the source of constant speculation and
conversation in the baseball world all winter long, and then
on December eleventh.
Speaker 8 (15:29):
Oh Tani makes his decision known on his Instagram page.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
After the Dodgers signed show Hey, we were all of
course elated, but the money Show Hey was getting was insane.
At seven hundred million dollars, it was the largest contract
in sports history, and it ended up being about two
hundred million more than anybody had initially thought it would be.
And even a team like the Dodgers has somewhat limited resources.
(15:57):
And in the meantime, Yamamoto was linked to so many
other teams. He was in New York meeting with the Mets,
he was in Chicago meeting with the Cubs, he was
in San Francisco, and of course the Yankees were in
on it. It just didn't seem likely that, especially after
getting show heyed, we'd be able to sign Yamamoto as well.
I was tempering my desires, thinking during those weeks in
(16:20):
mid December, I need to work on letting go. You
can't get everything in life. But then on the third
day of Christmas, December twenty seventh, we got it done.
Speaker 9 (16:32):
We got the deal done.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
Looking good, not even baseball season, but the Los Angeles
Dodgers are making a big splash for the second time
this month.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Three French hens and one historic baseball talent from Japan.
We'll be right back, Welcome back to the show.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
There's a new evil empire. It seems like the Dodgers
are trying to just take over the Baseball World right now,
Yamamoto came at a steep price.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
However, according to multiple reports, the team has agreed to
a twelve year, three hundred and twenty five million dollar
contract with prize Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yawamoto, the.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Most lucrative contract ever awarded to a pitcher in Major
League Baseball history. Twelve years, three hundred and twenty five
million smack arews for a twenty five year old who
had yet to throw a single pitch in the major leagues.
And so the Dodgers free agency tally on just these
(17:55):
two coveted Japanese free agents alone skyrocketed well north of
one billion dollars. With a bee please join me and
officially introducing number eighteen Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
(18:15):
Of course, knowing that I would be doing this podcast
episode the following September, I tuned in for Yoshinobu Yamamoto's
introductory press conference and immediately I liked his vibe. There
was the strong fashion choice a blue checked three piece
plaid suit, a pretty baller looking wristwatch, and conversely to
(18:36):
the somewhat shy retreating and reticent Shohe who had been
introduced just weeks before. Yamamoto was smiling wide, soaking up
the limelight in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I am beyond ecstatic to become a member of.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
This historic franchise, and he had even prepared a statement
to read in English. Pictures They're always hands and Yoshinobu
capped off his day by doing some shopping at the
Dodger's merch store at the stadium, and then posted a
video of himself holding up two big bags stuffed full
(19:15):
of gear. In a day, he had won our hearts.
Our goal is just to have Yoshino would be the
best version of Yoshinobu all year and especially when we
get to October. Over the course of spring training, Yoshinobu
became one of my favorite people to watch. In addition
(19:36):
to his unconventional mechanics, there were these unusual workout routines.
This was briefly mentioned earlier, but Yoshinobu trains as a
javelin thrower, and so before his starts you see him
out on the field launching a javelin across the green.
These clips became popular online with Dodger fans, but obviously,
(19:57):
Yamamoto was not here to become an Instagram sensation or
a track and field guy. He was here to help
us win baseball games, and with Tyler glassnow to be
the ace of the Dodgers' pitching staff, glassnow had signed
a five year, one hundred and thirty six million dollar
extension in the offseason, and so along with Glass, Yams
(20:20):
was expected to carry the pitching staff throughout this season
throughout the entire decade. Historically, Japanese pitchers have a bit
of trouble making the leap to major league play for
a few reasons. First, there's the burden of the workload.
(20:41):
Japanese starters pitch every sixth day. Here in the US
rotations turnover every five days. American pitchers tend to throw
at much higher velocities too, and generally the job of
pitching in Major League baseball is more physically demanding than
it is in Nippon Professional baseball. A. Major league pitchers
(21:01):
also tend to throw fewer pitches as a result of this,
It's just a different style of play.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
And that's not all. There's also the baseball itself.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
The ball we used here in the US is slightly
bigger than the one used in Japan, and Japan's ball
also has some tackiness intentionally added to the surface ahead
of time, which helps with grips and adding movement to pitches.
And last, there is the hitting style and skill level difference.
Some say that the japan League is equivalent to Triple
(21:33):
A Baseball in the US. Major League hitters are accustomed
to hitting higher velocities, and they generate a lot more
power and hit more home runs generally speaking than Japanese hitters.
They tend to be bigger and stronger, and so Japanese
baseball on the whole focuses on what's known as small ball,
with more emphasis on moving guys over contact hitting and
(21:57):
less focus on the home run than there is here
in the States. So a Japanese pitcher coming to the
major leagues has a different set of things to worry about,
and certainly would have to learn how to adjust his
approach in order to get guys out, which meant that
in spite of all that hype, Yamamoto was not a
sure thing, and.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
That is stripped and that one is down and it's
gonna get all the way to the wall.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
And during his first start on just the second game
of the season. During the Soul Series, Yamamoto got shell and.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
A triple for a crown and worth.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
This one's gonna challenge Munci fair ball and I want
to smoke to right Haywhard.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
It is not gonna get it.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Yamamoto gives up another one, a single. It is five
to nother.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Thing is cap Gusano comes in.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
But after that first start, Yamamoto settled into major league
life quickly and seamlessly, becoming one of the game's top starters.
And with Tyler glasnow carrying the Dodgers pitching.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Staff, he struck him out as a curve falls over
the corner. A fastball strikes Lame strikes him out with
a fastball in a curve ball to get him out
of the zam again.
Speaker 8 (23:12):
Travel back through this rivalry and it's eleven World Series.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Take a ride to the Bronx.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
When the Dodgers faced off against the Yankees in June
in New York, Yamamoto had a chance to prove himself
on a big stage.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Now he's made twelve starts. They've been pretty good ones.
Speaker 6 (23:29):
Oh, the last eleven have been outstanding, only six and
one with the two six ears.
Speaker 9 (23:33):
Swings and misses on that slide piece from Yamamoto. It's
a strikeout to end the first for Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Holloight, that fastball has some life today.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
He's been averaging around ninety six ninety seven.
Speaker 9 (23:46):
Football swinging a miss bifold pieces. Fourth strikeout already or Yamamoto.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yamamoto threw the fastest pitch of his MLB career that
day in the Bronx. He struck out seven, allowed just
two hits, and used one hundred and six pitches to
shut out a lineup that included Aaron Judge through seven innings.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Rounds went the second base handled my luck slip defense
for one o the first two.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
As a harbinger for what Yamamoto would be doing for
the rest of the season and as a precedent for
a postseason start. Under the bright lights of October, this
was as good as one could hope for.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
You could just see it.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he felt it, he knew
we needed it, and it brought out the best in him.
But then after the best start of his major league career,
we got the bad news. Yams was hurt. Rotator cuff injury.
Speaker 10 (24:52):
When he got injured, he was devastating, absolutely devastating. We
just picked him up.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
He was out for three months off the season, and
in that time, over the course of June, July and August,
our starting pitching situation went from bad to worse. We
really haven't had many dependable guys over the course of
twenty twenty four, and given that Yamamoto was signed as
a premier starter with all of the expectations for longevity
(25:20):
and clutch performance that come with that, his absence was
constantly felt and Dodger fans got down in the dumps
about it.
Speaker 10 (25:28):
A lot of haters talking and you overpaid and blah blah.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Blah and Wusi wu and I heard from Wes about
this one.
Speaker 10 (25:35):
Yeah, So that sucked. Not having him around for three
months was really difficult, especially with the culmination of you know,
all these other guys getting injured and all these other
guys tanking and not being so good, and you know,
expecting more from guys like Dueler and Bobby Miller, and
it's taking them a really long time to get it together.
It's frustrating. It's frustrating.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
As August turned to September, the reality sank in that
if Yams didn't return strong, there was no way for
the Dodgers to make a deep postseason run. The Dodgers
are in a very tight race to win the NL West,
and generally speaking, it's good to go into the postseason
(26:19):
with at least three solid looking starters. Our trade deadline
pickup Jack Flaherty looks capable of holding down one of
those spots, but as to who will join him in
those second and third spots, it's still at this point
totally uncertain. After Monday, there are only twelve games left
in the regular season, during which time we'd hope to
(26:40):
see these two more pitchers step up and prove themselves.
We were all holding out hope that Tyler Glasnow would
return after being on the IL since early August, but
on Saturday it was announced that his season was likely over.
Gavin Stone, who had been our hem rock, has also
fallen to an arm injury in his rookie year, and
(27:02):
we don't know when he'll return. Clayton Kershaw has turf
toe a bone spur in his left foot, and Landon
Nak another rookie who was emerging as an unlikely candidate
for the top of the rotation, had his worst start
of the year against the Braves on Friday, giving up
six runs. Yeah, you know, I.
Speaker 11 (27:28):
Think with Yoshinobu, he's back pitching in a major League
game on independent race. I expect his mind to be
in that compete mode. I don't think anyone knows where
his stuff is going to be as far as commanding
of the fastball of the secondary. I'm betting on the
fact that the lights are on and he's going to
go out there and show well.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
The organization set modest expectations for Yamamoto's first start back
fifty sixty pitches at the most, and at the very
most four innings of work. He wasn't built up yet.
He wasn't physically ready to give it his all or
to max out the way that he had in New
York in June. As I settled into my seat on
(28:17):
Tuesday night, gazing up at Yamamoto's forty foot tall face
projected on the JumboTron above the right field pavilion, I
moled over my own expectations.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Me.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I just didn't want to see anything heartbreaking happen. No injuries, please,
And I didn't want to see him get sheld.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
He in half climbs in. Yamamoto threw his wind and
off we go with a fastball at ninety seven, crisply
to the outside corners.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Strike one. But then Yamamoto was very sharp.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
There's the car man, then the splitter downstairs, one and
two on half.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
His three most important pitches, the four seemer, the splitter,
and the curveball were all working well for him that night.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Strikes out the side. It is first jenny in forty months.
There's this thing in Dodger Land.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
If the Dodgers' pitching staff combines to get seven strikeouts
the next day, everybody is entitled to free jumbo jacks
jack in the boxes version of a big mac at
area jack in the boxes with the purchase of a
large drink. Sometimes it takes several pitchers to combine to
get to jumbo jacks. Sometimes the Dodgers' staff doesn't get
(29:32):
to jumbo jacks at all. But on Tuesday, even given
the modest expectations for his first start back, Yamamoto got
us jumbo jacks himself in just his third inning of work.
In all, he got through those four innings cleanly. It
was the very maximum of what the team had hoped
he'd do in his first start back.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Did we win the game?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
No, things got messy for other reasons, but a starting
pitcher can only do so much. We'll see how Yam's
fares during his next start, which is on Monday against
the Atlanta Braves. They have a lineup of mashers, so
it will be another test. In our next episode, we'll
take a closer look at the story of Walker Buehler,
(30:16):
a proven postseason starting pitcher who's helped the Dodgers win
championships in the past, who is attempting a comeback after
a second major elbow surgery. How will this billion dollar
team look if we don't make it all the way? Already,
the cries on social media for manager Dave roberts Head
(30:37):
have been getting loud. In the meantime, let's hope that
Yamamoto can continue to be strong in his remaining regular
season starts. There's nothing I'd like more than to see
this guy take us all the way. Dodger Blue Dream
(30:58):
is written and produced by me Richard Parks Thid. This
episode was story edited by Jordan Bass and Caitlin Esh,
with production assistants from Tyler Hill. Original music in this
episode by Jonathan Snipes, William Ryan Fritch, The Blasting Company,
and by me. If you like the show, please help
(31:19):
me spread the word. With your help, we've made it
past our modest goal of one hundred ratings on Apple Podcasts.
But let's not stop there. Let's take over the world.
Thank you for your support and thanks for listening. Dodger
Blue Dream is produced in partnership with Iheart's Michael Tura
podcast network. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app,
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