Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched 6 strong innings, Shohei Ohtani leads Dodgers with four homers as Padres return to first place in the NL West

In today's pivotal NL West top-of-the-division clash, Dodgers' Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw 6 innings giving up only 2 runs, earning his 11th victory this season. The Dodgers' bats came alive late, beating the Padres 8-2, snapping a two-game losing streak in the head-to-head, returning to a tie for first in the division, and advancing their quest for a fourth straight division crown.

In this final regular season matchup against their rivals, the Padres, the Dodgers faced the pressure of no more losses allowed. Yamamoto showed excellent form from the start, striking out three batters in the first two innings without allowing a hit. Although in the third inning, Elias Diaz, the Padres’ ninth batter, capitalized on a misplaced two-seam fastball to hit a go-ahead two-run homer, Yamamoto quickly regained composure and in the fifth inning escaped a jam with runners on first and second, preventing the Padres from extending their lead.

The Dodgers’ offense was held in check through the first five innings until a dramatic rally in the sixth. Freddie Freeman opened with a solo home run to tie the game. Then, Yamamoto’s battery mate, rookie catcher Dalton Rushing, blasted a precious three-run homer over the right field wall, putting the Dodgers ahead and solidifying Yamamoto’s path to the win. Freeman added a second homer, and Shohei Ohtani, who had been hitless throughout the series until then, contributed a solo shot in the top of the ninth.

After the game, Yoshinobu Yamamoto said, “This was an absolutely must-win game, so I was more focused than usual. Even though I was turned around by a home run, it’s great that the team ended up winning.”

The Dodgers lost the first two games of the series, temporarily surrendering the division lead. However, led by Yamamoto’s pitching and timely offensive bursts, they managed to redeem themselves in the final game, injecting new life into their pursuit of maintaining first place in the division.