The Los Angeles Dodgers secured a Freeway Series win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night behind another dominant start from Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The right-hander allowed just one run on two hits and collected four strikeouts over a season-high eight innings pitched. After giving up an RBI triple to Oswald Peraza in the top of the first, Yamamoto settled down by retiring 22 consecutive batters.
According to OptaSTATS, Yamamoto joined Greg Maddux as the only MLB pitchers over the last 50 years to retire their final 20 batters on three separate occasions.
The @Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto:
9/12/25 at SF: retires final 20 batters
WS Gm 2 at Tor: retires final 20 batters
Tonight vs. LAA: retires final 22 battersOnly one other MLB pitcher in last 50 years has retired his final 20 batters 3 separate times (reg or post): Greg Maddux. pic.twitter.com/CiPpyzB38K
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 7, 2026
Yamamoto first accomplished the feat on Sept. 12, 2025, against the San Francisco Giants. He allowed an RBI double to Willy Adames in the first inning before going on to retire his final 20 batters.
Yamamoto then put together one of the most impressive starts in postseason history against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the 2025 World Series. He yielded only one run on four hits and collected eight strikeouts in a complete-game effort, setting down his final 20 batters faced.
Yamamoto posted a minuscule 1.02 ERA and 0.68 WHIP in three games against the Blue Jays en route to earning World Series MVP honors.
The 27-year-old has gotten off to another excellent start this season, going 6-4 with a 2.68 ERA, 3.43 FIP and 0.92 WHIP in 77.1 innings across 12 appearances.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani & Roki Sasaki make history
Prior to Yamamoto facing the Angels, he already was part of a scoreless streak that featured outings from Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki as well. They became the first trio of Japanese-born pitchers to have a scoreless start in the same season.
Making it all the more impressive is Yamamoto, Ohtani and Sasaki combined to achieve the feat over a one-week span.
The three pitchers combined to throw 18.1 scoreless innings in the past week. The streak ended when Yamamoto gave up a run in the first inning on Saturday night.
Earlier this season, Ohtani, Sasaki and Yamamoto made MLB history as the first time Japanese pitchers started three games in a row.
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