LOS ANGELES -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been able to keep the Padres at bay in two previous meetings this season, and the Dodgers are hopeful that the third matchup between their ace and their divisional rivals will be no different.
Yamamoto will take on the Padres for the second straight start on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium in a 7:10 p.m. PT Fourth of July nightcap on SportsNet LA and MLB.TV. The Dodgers' right-hander has held San Diego to three runs, all earned, in 13 innings this season, most recently throwing a quality start last weekend at Petco Park.
Last time out, Yamamoto received the most run support he has all season, as the Dodgers' bats broke out for a season-high-tying 15 runs in a resounding rout of the Padres. Yamamoto has been in ace form in his last seven starts, holding opponents to nine earned runs in 47 2/3 innings (1.70 ERA), even while lacking the desired feel for his arsenal -- particularly his splitter -- in his most recent handful of outings.
"I’m still trying to get my bearings," Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. "And specifically with the splitter, it really makes a big difference when I have a small difference of feel. So I’m trying to get that right feel still.”
Yamamoto will see if he can take that next step forward while facing the Padres in back-to-back outings. That can be a challenge for pitchers, and Roki Sasaki struggled with that on Thursday, giving up six runs in three innings in his second straight start against San Diego. But while Sasaki is still a work in progress, Yamamoto is a proven ace. The Dodgers always feel that he gives them a good chance to win when he takes the mound, regardless of the situation.