He signed a huge contract worth 350 million dollars for 12 years. Expectations must have been high for him to play a role in such a moment.
However, the Los Angeles Dodgers have not been able to say that Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was hired for a large amount of money in what may be the most important moment of the season, is the starting pitcher.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in an interview ahead of the team’s training session at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on the 11th (Korea time), “We have not yet confirmed the plan to operate the mound in Game 5.
“Yamamoto will also be part of the plan. I don’t know how to use bullpen pitchers around him,” he said, revealing only a rough plan.
Does this mean Yamamoto is the starter? Does he want to use it as a bullpen or do he want to use it after the opener? Roberts said, “We’re still in discussions. We have six to seven bullpen pitchers available. I have a very good hunch about that. We’re still in discussions about how to use Yamamoto. He said he will do whatever we ask him to do,” acknowledging the possibility of using the bullpen.
It may be part of the smoke screen operation, but the Dodgers’ inability to say with certainty that “the starter for Game 5 is Yamamoto” has its own reasons.
Yamamoto has shown consistent performance this season with seven wins, two losses and a 3.00 ERA in 18 games, but has been sluggish against San Diego. He has allowed eight runs in six innings in two regular-season games.
And in Game 1 of the last Division Series, he was shaken by five runs in three innings. His team won 7-5, but his pitching was not powerful.
“I don’t think I can say anything about my pitching in Korea. Overall, I felt bad about my pitching. He is a pitcher who fails to show good performance if his command is not met. However, if he is confident and aggressively attacks batters through ball combinations, he can get good results. If he continues to be at a disadvantage count, that means he is not at his best,” Roberts said, explaining Yamamoto’s lackluster performance.
In the first game, “tipping” that changes pitching form in different pitches became a problem. “I think we’ve solved that problem,” Roberts said, adding that if he plays in the fifth game, there will be no problem.
As for “Tipping,” which was a problem at the beginning of the season, now comes out again, he said, “There has been a gap for a while. There must have been four starts since then,” citing the injury gap.
He reiterated, “I think we are aware of the problem. It is a problem related to behavior or arm swing,” stressing that the club is fully aware of Yamamoto’s problems.
The Dodgers’ inability to say for sure that the starter for Game 5 is Yamamoto is not instilling faith, but on the other hand, it cannot be ignored that the Dodgers are enjoying the bullpen game this series.
Roberts, who completely blocked the San Diego lineup with a bullpen game in Game 4, replied, “That’s one of the options,” when asked about the possibility of playing Game 5 with a bullpen game. 토토사이트
“The success of yesterday’s game is having a big impact (on the decision of Game 5). Considering the neutrality and confidence that our bullpen has, I think a combination that can block the opponent team’s batters is possible,” he said, expressing strong confidence in the bullpen right now.
At one point, he missed the timing to replace starting pitchers in the postseason, which has become a hot topic of teasing across the nation. In this season, he seems to be coping with crisis through abnormal operation called bullpen game at a time when there are many injured in the starting lineup.
Roberts said, “When using a traditional pitcher, it’s important to decide where to make a decision. You have to think about when to change direction or continue to leave it to the player. In a bullpen game, the first thing to consider is the direction of the game and the state of the pitcher’s consumption. There should be a clear direction and purpose when using a pitcher.”
