A single to right field. A walk. A run scoring on a two-out single. Another run scoring on a wild pitch.
Like in two of his three previous starts,Yoshinobu Yamamoto was scored onin the first inning on Monday.
The two runs Yamamoto allowed in the opening frame against the Houston Astros turned out to be of minimal importance, as the Dodgers’ offense awakened in an 8-3 victory at Daikin Park.
But the couple of early runs charged to Yamamoto point to a larger problem he’s been unable to solve since his move from Japan two years ago.
In 55 regular-season starts over three major-league seasons, Yamamoto has a 4.60 earned-run average in the first inning.
“My first innings are really bad,” Yamamoto told reporters in Japanese. “I have to do more to figure out why, organize that in my head and make improvements.”
The troubles have followed him into this season, in which his first-inning ERA is 7.71. Take away his first innings and his overall ERA would be 2.20.
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The only otherDodgers starter with notable issuesin the first inning is Emmet Sheehan. The right-hander has a 12.00 ERA in the first inning.
Justin Wrobleski has been charged with only two runs in his five starts, and each of them was scored in the first inning.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
