LOS ANGELES -- When Yoshinobu Yamamoto has taken the mound for the Dodgers this season, he's been as dependable as they come.
All five of Yamamoto's appearances this season have been quality starts, making him the first Dodger since Zack Greinke in 2015 to begin a season with at least five straight quality starts. Yamamoto has a long way to go to match Greinke's 10 consecutive quality starts from 11 years ago, but he can keep his own streak going in Monday night's series opener against the Marlins at Dodger Stadium.
This will be the first time Yamamoto has faced Miami since May 7, 2024, when he struck out five and held them to two earned runs on five hits across eight innings in L.A. None of the Marlins hitters who were in that lineup are still with the team, though, so it's essentially a clean slate for both sides.
Yamamoto is coming off his two longest starts of the season, tossing 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Mets on April 14 before pitching seven innings of three-run ball against the Giants on April 21. In both of those starts, Yamamoto only gave up runs in the first inning before holding the line the rest of the way.
"I tried to shake it off," Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda after his previous start in San Francisco, "and then I just kept trying to focus on the hitters one at a time."
To manager Dave Roberts, that ability to flush a bad inning and adapt is why Yamamoto has established himself as one of the best starting pitchers in the Majors.
"I think it shows why he's the staff ace," Roberts said last week. "I thought early on he wasn't sharp. … For him to manage the pitch count, give up three runs and then go seven innings and give us a chance to win the game, says a lot about him."