Yamamoto pitched five scoreless frames in a no-decision in Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to St. Louis, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out five batters.
Yamamoto faltered in his MLB regular-season debut against the Padres in South Korea on March 21, allowing five earned runs and lasting just one inning. His second outing went in the complete opposite direction, as the Japanese hurler struck out the side in a perfect first frame and gave up just two baserunners over five standout innings. Yamamoto may have gone deeper if not for a rare Dodger Stadium rain delay, though he did return to the contest following the 35-minute interruption. Fantasy managers who invested in Yamamoto in fantasy drafts should feel much better after this performance, and given how good he looked Saturday, it's quite possible that the right-hander's worst start of the year is already behind him.