Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out three over two scoreless innings in a dazzling spring training debut on Wednesday for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are banking on the 25-year-old star becoming an ace in MLB.
Yamamoto threw 19 pitches — 16 for strikes — and surrendered one hit as he displayed his formidable repertoire of pitches in the Dodgers’ 6-4 loss to the World Series champion Texas Rangers in Surprise, Arizona.
“I could pitch while staying calm. There were lots of positives,” the 25-year-old right-hander said after the game, which ended in a 6-4 defeat for the Dodgers. “I’m a bit relieved. Now I’ll see how things go when I pitch more innings.”