Baseball

Yoshinobu Yamamoto Pitches Six Scoreless Innings and Pages Hits a 2-run Homer to Lead Dodgers over D-backs 8-0

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, of Japan, throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Phoenix.

14:11 JST, May 2, 2024

PHOENIX (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw six scoreless innings, rookie Andy Pages hit a two-run homer as part of a five-run second inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0 on Wednesday night.

Yamamoto (3-1) continues to pitch well in his first big-league season after signing a $325 million, 12-year deal during the offseason. The Japanese star was roughed up in his first outing on March 21 in South Korea, but has been much better over his past six starts and now has a 2.91 ERA.

The righty gave up five hits and two walks, striking out five.

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
May 1, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Pages worked a full count against Arizona’s Jordan Montgomery before hammering his 429-foot homer to deep left-center for a 2-0 lead in the second. He’s on an eight-game hitting streak and has 10 RBIs in 14 games.

Austin Barnes ripped an RBI double and Mookie Betts followed with a two-run single for a 5-0 lead. Will Smith hit a solo homer — his second of the series — to push the advantage to 6-0 in the third.

Betts had three hits while Miguel Rojas added two. The Dodgers have won eight of their past 10 and took two of three games in the series.

Montgomery’s start was pushed back one day after the beginning of Tuesday’s game was delayed nearly two hours because of a bee infestation. The extra day of rest didn’t help the lefty, who gave up six runs on six hits and three walks over three innings.

Montgomery (1-2) struck out one.

D-backs lefty Blake Walston gave up two runs over 3 2/3 innings of relief in his big league debut. He was a first-round selection by the franchise in the 2019 draft.