Dodgers teammates supported Yoshinobu Yamamoto; he lifted them in Game 5

LOS ANGELES – In the days following the debacle, several members of the Los Angeles Dodgers reached out to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The weight of a failure in Game 1 of the National League Division Series rested on his shoulders, and his heartache was obvious to a group that doesn't speak his language. A procession of teammates tried to lift his spirits. He heard from pitchers and catchers, infielders and outfielders, coaches and executives, all preaching some version of the same message.

“He’s one of the best pitchers in the world,” backup catcher Austin Barnes said.

“Everyone wrapped their arms around him,” pitching coach Mark Prior said.

“Every now and then,” injured veteran Clayton Kershaw said, “you just have to remind him: ‘You’re a stud.’ You could be a rookie. But you’re a stud.”

On Friday night, in a game with little margin for error against an opponent that nearly ruined his first season in Major League Baseball, Yamamoto seemed the right choice. He allowed just two hits in five innings while calming the San Diego Padres' relentless lineup with a 2-0 win in Game 5. He outpointed his friend, countryman and childhood inspiration Yu Darvish. Yamamoto helped the Dodgers extend a streak of 24 scoreless innings to recover from a 2-1 deficit and set up an affair with the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani celebrate the victory over the Padres. Next up: The New York Mets in the NLCS. (Harry How/Getty Images)

The Mets were considered a likely destination for Yamamoto, a 26-year-old right-hander, when he was signed by the Orix Buffaloes last winter. The Dodgers won the bidding war with a 12-year, $325 million contract and a $50 million agency fee. His rookie season was marked by success, adjustments and a shoulder injury. His hands are small. His physique is slim. His physique could only intimidate a salesperson at GapKids. In Game 5, he still showed exactly why the Dodgers were outperforming the rest of the industry, handing Yamamoto the largest contract ever for a pitcher.

“This boy didn’t get the money he got because of his potential,” said utility operator Kiké Hernández. “That’s not the draft. He got the money for who he is and he showed who he is there tonight.”

The Dodgers have their patchwork rotation configured for a night like this. Yamamoto started Game 1 because the team wanted him available for a possible Game 5. He doesn't play according to the traditional American baseball schedule; Every appearance he played this season involved at least five days of rest. But the team only decided on him as the starter for Game 5 on Thursday afternoon after days of deliberation.

Their concern stemmed from Yamamoto's disjointed season and his struggles against San Diego. He missed all of July and August with a rotator cuff strain. When he returned in September, he only threw a pitch past the fourth inning once. The Padres denounced him in his debut in the Seoul Series back in March. In Game 1 last week, he logged just three innings and gave up five runs, being tagged for extra-base hits by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado when he wasn't nibbling around the strike zone. The Dodgers came back to win, but Yamamoto still looked humbled to his teammates afterward.

“He was really depressed after Game 1,” said Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations. “He felt the weight of having let down his teammates, the city and the entire Dodger nation.”

The rest of the group noticed his dissatisfaction. He heard from them during the intervening games in Los Angeles and San Diego. After the Dodgers used eight relievers to win Game 4, manager Dave Roberts told Yamamoto to prepare for Game 5. The team discussed using a reliever in front of him, particularly to target the right-handed duo of Tatis and Machado. In the end, the club decided against taking on Yamamoto, who had never been behind an opening goal.

There would be no tricks, no gimmicks, no bullpen game redux. They needed Yamamoto to keep their season alive.

“At the end of the day,” Roberts said before the game, “we’re making a bet on someone playing the game of their life.”

In reality, the Dodgers would have been happy with a three-inning outing. The bullpen was prepared. Jack Flaherty, the Game 2 starter, was also available. The team identified an obvious turning point to consider in retiring Yamamoto: Tatis' second strike.

Tatis tattooed Dodgers starters in all series. He hit a double against Yamamoto in Game 1, a home run against Flaherty in Game 2, and another home run against Walker Buehler in Game 3. Yamamoto decided to attack him in Game 5. Tatis swung a slider for a strikeout in the first inning. Yamamoto continued to challenge San Diego hitters as he stormed through the lineup. His fastball reached 97 miles per hour. He also had some luck: The Padres hit six balls with an exit velocity of 100 miles per hour or more, and only one fell by a hit. “He gave us more throws to hit, but we hit it right on some guys,” Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts said.

The hit came in the third inning from catcher Kyle Higashioka, who flipped a 97 mph fastball for a single. Luis Arraez hit a first-pitch fastball to right for another single. The speed of the sequence created a worrisome scenario for the Dodgers, as Tatis came to the plate with runners on board. Roberts didn't have enough time to summon a replacement. He needed Yamamoto to defeat the threat.

Yamamoto missed with a slider from deep before finding a curveball for the strike. He dropped two more breakballs below the zone. Catcher Will Smith signaled a 3-1 slider. “It’s a tough fight,” Smith said. “You have to execute. I just felt like the slider was working.” Bad luck dived under Tatis' shins. He was still swinging. A grounder rolled to third baseman Max Muncy to preserve the lead in the bottom of the inning and extend the season.

Yamamoto did not allow another baserunner. After Evan Phillips warmed up in the fifth inning, Yamamoto easily exited the team. His final pitch was another 97 mph fastball. After Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth went out, Yamamoto left the game to a standing ovation. Roberts met Yamamoto on the top step of the dugout. The manager hugged his mug.

“I believed in him,” Roberts said. “I knew he would rise to the occasion.”

Yamamoto watched from the dugout as the replacements slammed the door on San Diego. He joined the happy mosh pit near the mound after Blake Treinen recorded the finale. Yamamoto stood on the edge of the celebration, patting his teammates on the shoulder until they realized it was him. Then he walked into the middle of the crowd, surrounded by the group that had brought him out of his despair at the start of this series.

“What he did tonight was he gave us everything he had,” Barnes said. “It was one of the more decisive games I've ever seen – against a really tough team. He's great. We couldn’t ask for anything else.”

(Top photo of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Will Smith: (Harry How / Getty Images)