TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 14: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks to members of the media during a press conference ahead of the MLB Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome on March 14, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto & Jacob deGrom had quite a duel..
One of the best duels of the young MLB season in the series opener of Dodgers-Rangers..
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was fantastic on Friday night, and the Dodgers needed every bit of it, as Jacob deGrom was on his game as well for the Rangers. Both pitchers went seven innings in what was a 1-0 affair until the Dodgers tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth at Globe Life Field.
Tommy Edman led off the game with a home run, but that was the only run against deGrom, who struck out seven in his seven innings. It was the best start of the year for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. But Yamamoto was even better, matching his season and career high with 10 strikeouts, in pitching seven scoreless innings.
“Man, he was good tonight. Really good team, really good lineup. He just had his entire pitch mix working,” manager Dave Roberts said of Yamamoto after the game, per SportsNet LA. “He elevated his game to another level. You could see he was going against one of the game’s best in deGrom, and he obviously matched him pitch for pitch.”
Friday in Texas was just the fifth game of the MLB season in which both starting pitchers pitched into the seventh inning, and only the secong game in which both pitchers completed seven.
Both starters pitching into 7th inning in 2025
Date Winning team starter Losing team starter
Apr 2 Zack Wheeler (PHI) 7 IP, 1 R, 10 K Kyle Freeland (COL) 6⅔ IP, 3 R, 3 K
Apr 7 Hunter Greene (CIN) 8⅔ IP, 0 R, 7 K Logan Webb (SF) 7 IP, 0 R, 10 K
Apr 9 Kevin Gausman (TOR) 8 IP, 0 ER, 10 K Tanner Houck (BOS) 6⅔ IP, 1 R, 2 K
Apr 11 Jose Quintana (MIL) 7 IP, 0 R, 10 K Eduardo Rodríquez (AZ) 6⅓ IP, 2 ER, 3 K
Apr 18 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LA) 7 IP, 0 R, 10 K Jacob deGrom (TEX) 7 IP, 1 R, 7 K
through April 18.
Going by game score, Yamamoto had a 77 and deGrom a 73, just the fourth game this year in which both starting pitchers got at least a 70 game score:
April 2: Hunter Greene (74 game score) vs. Jack Leiter (71)
April 7: Greene (82) vs. Logan Webb (79)
April 9: Mitch Keller (75) vs. Erick Fedde (70)
Friday: Yamamoto (77) vs. deGrom (73)
Yamamoto is the first Dodgers starting pitcher to see the seventh inning this season, let alone complete it. He also has two of the team’s five starts of six innings.
Through five starts, Yamamoto has allowed four total runs, three of them earned. His last 18 innings are scoreless, and he hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 21 frames. In all, he leads the National League with a 0.93 ERA, and is tied for third in the majors with 38 strikeouts in his 29 innings.
“There’s a lot time” Roberts said “but I do think that right now he’s the best pitcher in the National League.”
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