The much-anticipated series between the East Coast giant New York Yankees and the West Coast juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers was off to an electrifying start. However, unlike expectations, it wasn’t the plate that gave us the fireworks, it was the mound. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitching against the team he spurned a few months ago, the stakes were unusually high. But the $325 million ace breezed through the Yankees like a ship breezes through the sea. If anything that impressed Aaron Judge, who couldn’t help but tip his hat to the Dodgers ace.

The Yankees entered the game as favorites. Why wouldn’t they be? They were in the middle of an 8-game winning streak. Their hitting staff was exploding on all cylinders and the Dodgers weren’t really doing that well. But on the day when Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s ball did the talking, the Pinstripes fell like a house of cards. For 11 innings, the Bronx Bombers waited but things never turned. In the end, they fell to the Blue Crew 2 to 1. But it was Yamamoto who set the tone for that defeat.

“Yamamoto looked great,” Aaron Judge said in his postgame interview. “He signed the deal he did for a reason. He’s a great pitcher. Besides having elite stuff, he’s got great command, that’s what we noticed today. Getting in hitters, counts, and living on the edges, could work any pitch, anytime.” That was a massive show of respect by All Rise to a player who could’ve been his teammate had things panned out differently.

During his seven innings, Yoshinobu Yamamoto completely shut out the New York Yankees batters. To do that against a team that entered this game red hot with a 6.5 runs per game average in the last 8 games is nothing short of extraordinary. By the end of his spell, the Los Angeles Dodgers star gave away just 2 hits, and 2 walks, and had 7 strikeouts! 

While for the New York Yankees, this could’ve been a giant “what if?” for Yamamoto, this was a memorable experience. The superstar couldn’t help but express how much he enjoyed pitching in the Yankee Stadium.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominates the Yankees as the Dodgers take game 1

Though Yoshinobu Yamamoto didn’t have to face Juan Soto (his injury prevented him from participating) the rest of the Yankees staff was no match for him. “I did know this matchup was going to draw a lot of attention compared to the other (games),” Yoshinobu Yamamoto said via his interpreter. “I was just trying to do what I’ve been doing, just like other games.” (per New York Post)

While calling the Yankees “a great team” Yamamoto expressed his gratitude for them having an interest in him. However, it was the Yankee Stadium that impressed him the most. “I enjoyed the atmosphere,” Yamamoto expressed. “It’s a great stadium. I enjoyed the whole game.” As for the Yankees, they’ll have to bounce back today. 

Even without Juan Soto, their hitting lineup is top-notch. As a result, fans are hoping that this was a one-off performance. With two more games to go, winning the series could give the Yankees some bragging rights. After all, the pain of losing Yamamoto can be healed by the satisfaction of beating his team.