ANAHEIM -- As the Dodgers open a series against their biggest competition in the NL West, they're looking for their ace to round back into form.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take on the Padres in Monday night's series opener at Petco Park, coming off a tough previous start last Tuesday, in which he surrendered a career-high three home runs and a season-high five earned runs to the Giants.
Through his first four starts of the 2026 campaign, Yamamoto was the model of consistency, giving up no more than two earned runs per outing. But in his most recent four starts, Yamamoto has allowed at least three runs apiece. He has still reliably pitched deep into games, covering at least six innings in seven of his eight starts.
Notably, Yamamoto has been giving up home runs at a higher rate than in previous years. He has surrendered eight in eight starts (50 innings) so far after letting up 14 in 30 starts (173 2/3 innings) last season. He hasn't noticed any trend that might explain the uptick in long balls.
"It depends which home run we're talking about," Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda after last week's start against the Giants. "Some home runs I allow, that was a mistake or mislocation. Some home runs you have to tip your hat to hitters."
Last year, Yamamoto faced the Padres twice, holding them to five earned runs across 12 1/3 innings in a pair of quality starts. While he faced San Diego a fair amount in his first two big league seasons, this will only be his second time pitching at Petco Park.
Manager Dave Roberts believes that when the Dodgers and Padres face off, it tends to bring out the best in both teams. The hope is that will apply to Yamamoto as well.