LOS ANGELES — In March 2023, about nine months before the Dodgers signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a record-setting contract, L.A. catcher Austin Barnes got an up-close look at how the talented young arm would fare in a high-stakes situation.
It was the semifinal round of the World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park, a thriller between Japan and Mexico that ended with the Samurai Japan squad victorious en route to the country’s third title in the tournament. Yamamoto came on in relief in that game — and retired his future batterymate, Barnes, twice.
“It wasn’t that fun facing him in the World Baseball Classic,” Barnes said. “Not knowing too much about him, and he had that splitty that just kind of dances at you. He was really good.”
Now, Yamamoto is set to get his first taste of MLB postseason action after drawing the Game 1 start against the Padres to open the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium.
Trade Deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty had initially been announced as the starter for the series opener, with Yamamoto slated to take the ball for Game 2. But Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman announced on Thursday that Flaherty and Yamamoto would be flipped with an eye on having both arms available for a potential Game 5 should the best-of-five series go all the way.
“He’s still seasoned as far as pitching in big ball games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Yamamoto. “I’m confident in talent. I think the heartbeat will be fine in his first playoff game.”
