Yoshinobu Yamamoto gives up four runs to Cardinals

Yamamoto has repeatedly found another gear when the postseason demands it, and he authored another masterpiece at Truist Park to put Los Angeles back in the metaphorical driver’s seat in the best-of-five series as they pursue their third consecutive World Series title. It was the first double-digit strikeout performance of his playoff career, and he allowed just five baserunners while needing an economical 98 pitches (62 strikes) to navigate seven impressive frames. The Dodgers grabbed an early lead on homers by Enrique Hernández and Freddie Freeman, while Yamamoto carried a shutout into the fifth inning before Atlanta finally broke through on a bases-loaded groundout by Drake Baldwin. He escaped the jam without further damage by coaxing a harmless ground ball from Ronald Acuña Jr. to extinguish the threat. He’ll presumably be available out of the bullpen for the final two games, should the Dodgers require his heroics.

Yamamoto said through an interpreter that he’s willing to pitch on short rest, or in relief, if needed, this postseason. That doesn’t come as a surprise after witnessing his herculean effort during last year’s World Series title run. He’ll get the ball for a pivotal showdown at Truist Park in Atlanta with the best-of-five series tied after a pair of games in Los Angeles.

Tarik Skubal is expected to start Game 1, though the Dodgers still haven’t announced it. Yamamoto probably wouldn’t come back on Sunday after throwing Wednesday, so Blake Snell figures to get the Game 2 start. That’d leave Tyler Glasnow set up for Game 4 and Skubal for Game 5.

The unearned runs resulted from his own error in the fifth. After two infield singles, he tried to retire the lead runner at third on Dustin Harris’s sac bunt attempt but made a wild throw that allowed the runner to score. The loss means Yamamoto ends the regular season 14-9 with a 2.53 ERA. He’s currently fifth in the majors in ERA and second to Jacob Misiorowski with a 0.87 WHIP.

Yamamoto gave up two walks in the first and an Elly De La Cruz double in the third, retiring the other 21 batters he faced. He struck out seven. Yamamoto is 14-8 with a 2.51 ERA in 179 innings this season, which is pretty close to his 12-8 record and 2.49 ERA from 173 2/3 innings last year. The big differences are that his strikeout rate has dropped from 29.4 percent last year to 26 percent this year, but also that he’s upped his efficiency; those 179 innings have come in 28 starts this year, whereas he needed 30 to throw 173 2/3 innings last year. He’ll likely make his next start Tuesday against the Padres.

The lone run came on Elly De La Cruz’s homer in the fourth. Yamamoto allowed only two other hits and walked one in the 90-pitch gem. He currently ranks second in the majors with a 0.88 WHIP, trailing only Jacob Misiorowski at 0.80. He’ll pitch in Cincinnati next time out.

The 28-year-old right-hander racked up eight strikeouts on the night while issuing one base on balls. The lone tally against him — and the only run scored by either team — came on a solo blast off the bat of Drake Baldwin in the opening inning. Unfortunately for Yamamoto and for fantasy managers, that was enough to do him in on Thursday. He got a whopping 20 swings and misses on 105 pitches on the night, registering a CSW of 30 percent. Now 12-8 on the season, he’ll carry a 2.56 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and a 153/36 K/BB ratio (158 innings) into Thursday’s matchup against the Cardinals.

Yamamoto left with a 4-2 lead, but he doesn’t get the win — even though the Dodgers did — because the Los Angeles bullpen couldn’t hold that cushion. The 28-year-old has whiffed 21 hitters over his last two outings, and his ERA is now a healthy 2.61 on the season. Yamamoto has established himself as one of the very best hurlers in baseball, and he’ll look to continue the good run next weekend against the Tigers in Detroit.

Yamamoto struck out nine and sported a 37 percent CSW. It’s the 11th time in 22 starts this year that he’s allowed one or no runs. He’ll make his next start on six days’ rest next Friday versus the Pirates.

It was not an efficient start for Yamamoto, as he needed 107 pitches to get his 17 outs, and he walked three. It was still an effective one — as it usually is for the 27-year-old — that saw him allow just three hits and strike out six while lowering his ERA to 2.65. Yamamoto will look to keep this going — and work a smidgen deeper into the game — next weekend against the Brewers.