Was Yoshinobu Yamamoto tipping pitches in Game 1?

Apr 25, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) walks to the dugout after the third out against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Yoshinobu Yamamoto did not deliver the kind of start the Los Angeles Dodgers were looking for in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday. Manager Dave Roberts thinks he knows why.

Robert suggested that Yamamoto may have been tipping his pitches against the San Diego Padres during Game 1 at Dodger Stadium. Yamamoto allowed five runs in three innings and allowed seven of the 16 batters he faced to reach base, and Roberts suggested that may have been because something about the pitcher’s glove was tipping pitches to the Padres.

“There are some things that I think we’re going to dig into, because I think at second base they had some things with his glove [that were] giving away some pitches,” Roberts said, via Brian Murphy of MLB.com . “We’re going to clean that up. That’s part of baseball. So it’s on us to kind of clean that up and not give away what pitch he’s going to throw.”

Four of the five runs Yamamoto allowed came in a plate appearance where there was a runner on second, so Roberts might be onto something here. The Dodgers will want to correct it as quickly as possible, as Yamamoto would be a candidate to start a potential Game 5 if the series gets that far.

The Dodgers did come back to win the game 7-5, so Yamamoto’s potential tipping did not cost the team a game. Plus, he has a teammate who can probably help him out with that.

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