From a plastic bag on the chair in front of his locker, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pulled out the jersey he wore Sunday at Uniqlo Stadium.
Yamamoto carefully spread the uniform on the backrest of a nearby sofa, and used a silver marker to write his signature on the item of clothing, as well as the date.
This was a gift for his old coach Osamu Yada and his wife.
“Their 40th anniversary,” said Yamamoto, who also presented Yada with a game ball and lineup card.
Yamamoto failed to pitch in the Dodgers’ 9-1 win over the Phillies, but he didn’t look like he was bothered.
His season was unfolding as his mentor said it would, and the team was starting to play the way it was built.
By winning the rubber match of the three-game series, the Dodgers won their fifth straight series.
Their lead in the National League West, which was one and a half games just a week ago, is now five and a half games. Their superiority numbers are expected to increase in the coming weeks, as the Dodgers spent the weekend addressing the one potential blemish that could have threatened their continued dominance.
No matter how long Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow remain sidelined, their basic plan is not going to fall apart.
Justin Wrobleski and Rocky Sasaki answered the big questions asked about them — Wrobleski on whether his All-Star level is sustainable and Sasaki on whether he belongs in the major leagues.
As for Yamamoto, he proved that his early season and early inning woes are behind him, as the World Series champion struck out 10 batters over 5 scoreless innings.
Yamamoto described himself as a “closer” after being tagged for five runs by the Giants two weeks ago, and he was right, as he has posted a 0.93 ERA in his three starts since.
“The situation is getting better and better,” Yamamoto said in Japanese.
Command issues increased his pitching count, but he was encouraged by the increase in fastball velocity, which averaged 96.7 mph.
That was one mile above its seasonal average.
“In my session a couple of days ago, I was throwing harder than I thought,” he said. “Today too.”
In other words, the pace was easy for him, an indication that he was approaching mid-season form.
The extra zip was useful at the most crucial stage of the game. A double by Justin Crawford in the fifth inning put runners on second and third base for the Phillies, which Kyle Schwarber was scheduled to single out for.
Yamamoto hit Schwarber with a 97.5 mph fastball. He followed that up by hitting Trea Turner, this time with a 95.9 mph sinker.
Elevated fastball velocity was a theme throughout the weekend, with Vrobelski and Sasaki also throwing the ball harder than usual.
Wrobleski, one of the pitchers recently penalized for his inability to miss a bat, appeared in the series opener Friday night with a fastball that reached 97 mph.
Throwing a fastball that averaged a season-best 94.9 mph, Wrobleski held the Phillies to a run over seven innings. He hit a career-high with nine hits.
“It kind of felt like a missing piece,” Wrobleski said of his fastball. “It honestly gives me more confidence to go out there and attack more.”
For Sasaki, it was his fast ball that once made him the best prospect in the world. But starting in his final season in Japan, in 2023, he hasn’t been able to throw the ball with the same power or accuracy. The problem has persisted into this season, forcing Sasaki to rely more on off-speed pitches.
On Saturday, in the 10th start of his second major league season, Sasaki rediscovered his fastball — and in doing so perhaps rediscovered himself.
Sasaki has reached 100 mph twice, marking the first time he has reached triple figures as a starter in the major leagues since his first game with the Dodgers, which was played in his native Japan last year.
Sasaki was able to use his fastball as his primary weapon, as it averaged 98.5 mph — 1.5 mph faster than his season average. Of the 38 fastballs he threw, 14 were 99 mph or faster.
“This was the game where I was able to throw the ball just like me,” Sasaki said in Japanese.
Getting two of three games from a team they played in the NL Division Series last year was important.
But what is more important is the performance of Vrubelsky and Sasaki.
At the very least, the rotation should be able to withstand the absence of Glasnow and Snell. At best, it can flourish.