The San Diego Padres simply have no answer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Los Angeles Dodgers ace delivered another masterclass on the mound on Saturday, shutting down the Padres for the third time this season in a dominant 3-0 victory at Dodger Stadium. Yamamoto tossed seven scoreless innings while striking out 10 batters, matching his MLB career high strikeout total and further strengthening his case as one of baseball’s elite pitchers in 2026.
The performance improved Yamamoto’s season record to 8-5 while lowering his ERA to an impressive 2.67. Through 16 starts this season, the Japanese star has consistently delivered for the Dodgers, recording seven outings of seven innings or more.
Saturday’s victory was the latest chapter in Yamamoto’s growing dominance over San Diego. After allowing just three earned runs across his previous two starts against the Padres this season, he was even better this time around, keeping hitters off balance with a devastating mix of splitters, fastballs, and pinpoint command.
The Dodgers offense provided all the support their ace would need. Newly selected All-Star Andy Pages opened the scoring with an RBI single, while veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman added insurance with his 15th home run of the season before driving in another run later in the game. Both Pages and Freeman recently earned National League All-Star selections alongside Yamamoto.
The win continues a remarkable stretch for Los Angeles, who have opened up a commanding lead in the National League West and improved their record against the Padres this season. Meanwhile, San Diego’s struggles continue as they search for answers during a difficult mid-season slump.
With the All-Star Game approaching and postseason aspirations firmly in sight, the Dodgers ace is pitching some of the best baseball of his MLB career.
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