Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw six shutout innings for his second Major League Baseball win Thursday as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 and completed a three-game series sweep.
The Japanese right-hander struck out seven while allowing four hits and one walk in the most assured performance of his six-game MLB career.
Teoscar Hernandez broke the ice for the Dodgers with a solo homer in the top of the second and Freddie Freeman made it 2-0 with an RBI double in the eighth at Nationals Park.
Yamamoto (2-1) set the tone with a 1-2-3 first inning and had his four-seamer, curveball and splitter all working against Washington.
"I think this is the most like myself I've pitched so far," Yamamoto said. "I was able to throw my splitter and curveball at a good height. I threw a lot of pitches the way I pictured them."
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts echoed Yamamoto's sentiments and said the former Orix Buffaloes ace was building momentum.
"It was probably his best start he has had with us," Roberts said. "And actually, the last two have been really good."
Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 as the Dodgers' designated hitter, snapping his hitting streak at nine games and dropping his batting average from an MLB-leading .371 to .358.
