Dodgers manager Dave Roberts makes one thing clear after Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s gem vs. Braves

Fresh off being named National League Pitcher of the Month for March/April, Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered another masterclass on the mound, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. The 25-year-old right-hander tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, striking out six, and walking two.

Yamamoto didn’t surrender a hit until the sixth inning, when Austin Riley broke up a budding no-hitter with a double. But as usual, the Japanese phenom didn’t flinch. He quickly retired Marcell Ozuna on a groundout to end the threat — and, with it, another dominant outing.

Yamamoto’s pitch count stood at 91 when manager Dave Roberts decided to pull him after six innings. “I think in hindsight, he would have gone into the seventh,” Roberts said, according to MLB.com. “But there is a very good possibility he’ll pitch again on short rest. We need him.”

“I was [thinking about a no-hitter] for a quick minute and Riley changed that,” manager Roberts admitted postgame. “He had no-hit stuff tonight.”

Yamamoto’s efficiency

The performance came on the heels of a less sharp outing on April 25, when Yamamoto gave up three runs (one earned) across five innings in a loss to the Pirates. “The [splitter] was fantastic. The command was back to being who he is,” Roberts noted. “The split really played tonight.”

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Best in MLB? The numbers say yes

Yamamoto has not allowed more than two earned runs in a start this season, and he’s pitched at least five innings in every appearance. His 0.90 ERA leads all qualified starters in MLB, and his 49 strikeouts rank him seventh overall.

Those numbers mirror the dominance he displayed during his seven seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, where he went 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA and a 0.935 WHIP. “I’ve been able to perform at a high level [in MLB],” Yamamoto said through a translator. “I think it’s really close to my best time in Japan.”

Dave Roberts made one thing clear: he sees Yoshinobu Yamamoto evolving into more than just a top-tier starter. “He’s turning himself into a staff ace,” Roberts said. “There’s a short list of guys in this league who give you six strong innings and a real chance to win every time out. He’s joining that group.”