Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned his first MLB win Saturday after throwing five shutout innings on three hits and eight strikeouts in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Making his third start in the big leagues, Yamamoto (1-1) loaded the bases in the first two innings but struck his way out of the jams before tossing three perfect innings in an 80-pitch outing at Wrigley Field, snapping the Cubs' five-game winning streak.
"I'm really happy," said the 25-year-old Yamamoto, who in December penned the most valuable contract ever offered to a pitcher with a 12-year, $325 million deal. "The season's just begun. I'll look to notch one win at a time and contribute to the team."
An Ian Happ double, walk to Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger single loaded bases as Yamamoto got off to a tumultuous start before the right-hander's good command, particularly with his curveball, saw Christopher Morel, Dansby Swanson and Michael Busch all strike out.
A two-out double, walk, and error from his teammate left him in a tight spot again in the second, but Yamamoto fanned Bellinger with another curveball to keep the Cubs off the board and the home team did not reach base until he was relieved.
"I just tried to stay calm. I felt issuing a bases-loaded walk was the worst thing to happen," Yamamoto said of his first-inning jam.
"I focused a little too much with my control at the start and got behind in the count...My feel for pitching gradually got better. I think my pitching in the fourth and fifth was quite good."
His Japanese teammate Shohei Ohtani singled in the first inning before getting another in the sixth when the Dodgers took a three-run lead.
"I felt happy on both occasions," Yamamoto said when asked to compare his feelings with his first win with the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball in 2017. "I'll treasure the ball (from today as a memento)."
The new Dodger took a loss when he made his debut on March 21 against the San Diego Padres, allowing five runs in an inning in Seoul, but threw five shutout innings last Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals without getting a decision.
Suzuki saw his five-game hitting streak come to an end Saturday as he went 0-for-3, meanwhile, striking out against Yamamoto in the fifth.
Kenta Maeda (0-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season after allowing three runs on two hits, including a two-run homer, over 5-2/3 innings in the Detroit Tigers' 4-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics.
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