Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled badly in his start against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday (Monday in Japan), allowing a career-worst three home runs and five earned runs over 5.2 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander took the mound at Dodger Stadium but was pounded by the Giants’ bats, giving up six hits in total. Yamamoto, who had been enjoying a strong first season in the majors, saw his ERA jump after this outing. He was removed with two outs in the sixth inning after surrendering his third long ball of the day. The outing marked his shortest and most damaging start since joining the Dodgers from Japan’s Orix Buffaloes in the offseason. Despite the rough performance, the Dodgers’ offense managed to keep the game close, but Yamamoto’s inability to keep the ball in the park proved costly.
