Yamamoto Impresses as Dodgers Win First Game with Skubal
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has earned his first win since joining the team, and fellow pitcher Tarik Skubal was impressed by what he saw.
Skubal, who has won the Cy Young Award two years in a row, described Yamamoto's performance as "off the charts", meaning it was extremely impressive.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also praised the left-hander, saying the whole team was energized by his performance on the mound.
Yamamoto now plays alongside Shohei Ohtani, and fans hope the two Japanese stars can help form one of the strongest pitching rotations in baseball. A rotation is the group of starting pitchers who take turns leading games.
In the same game, Ohtani threw a no-hitter, meaning the opposing team failed to get a single hit off him during his time pitching.
The Dodgers won the game by a narrow margin, extending their winning streak to five games in a row.
Yamamoto has shown a strong sense of fulfillment after his win, reflecting the pressure of adjusting to a new team and league.
The Cy Young Award is one of the most respected honors in baseball, given each year to the best pitcher in each league.
With both Yamamoto and Ohtani performing well, expectations are growing for the Dodgers this season.
Vocabulary10 words
- Cy Young Award
- a big prize given to the best pitcher
- off the charts
- much better than normal; amazing
- energized
- given more energy or confidence
- rotation
- a group of pitchers who take turns starting games
- no-hitter
- a game where a pitcher allows zero hits
- streak
- a series of wins or losses in a row
- fulfillment
- a happy feeling after doing something well
- left-hander
- a person who uses the left hand to throw
- mound
- the raised spot where a pitcher stands
- narrow margin
- a very small difference in score
Quiz
Answer key
1. His first win with the Dodgers 2. He pitched a no-hitter 3. The team was energized
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has earned his first _____ since joining the team.
Fellow pitcher Tarik Skubal was _____ by what he saw.
Skubal has won the Cy Young Award two years in a _____.
He described Yamamoto's performance as "_____", meaning it was extremely impressive.
Dodgers manager Dave _____ also praised the left-hander.
He said the whole team was energized by his performance on the _____.
Yamamoto now plays alongside Shohei _____.
Fans hope the two Japanese stars can form one of the strongest pitching _____ in baseball.
In the same game, Ohtani threw a _____.
The Dodgers won the game by a narrow margin, extending their winning streak to _____ games.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think Skubal was so impressed by Yamamoto's performance?
- How might playing alongside Ohtani help Yamamoto adjust to a new team?
- What pressures might a player face when joining a new team in a different country?
- Why do winning streaks matter for team morale in sports?