Yamamoto Wins 12th Game, Stops Dodgers Losing Streak
Listen to the story
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has earned his 12th victory of the season. His performance helped the team break a recent losing streak.
According to the Dodgers' official report, the team is now just one win behind the top team in the entire league. Yamamoto's strong pitching played a big part in this result.
Shohei Ohtani was also in the lineup, batting first as the designated hitter. Fans were watching closely to see how the two Japanese stars would perform together.
Yamamoto has become known as a very difficult pitcher to hit against. Opposing hitter Christian Yelich spoke about how hard it is to face him.
Yelich said that Yamamoto throws six or seven different kinds of pitches, and he uses all of them well during a game. This variety makes it very hard for batters to guess what is coming next.
Even opposing team managers have admitted they are impressed by Yamamoto's ability to adjust during games. His skill in changing his approach against different hitters has drawn strong praise from rival coaches.
Yamamoto's consistent performance has made him one of the most important pitchers on the Dodgers' roster this season, as the team continues to chase the league's top spot.
Vocabulary8 words
- victory
- a win in a game or match
- losing streak
- several losses happening one after another
- league
- a group of teams that compete against each other
- lineup
- the list of players who will play in a game
- designated hitter
- a player who bats but does not play in the field
- pitches
- different ways a pitcher throws the ball
- batters
- players who try to hit the ball
- adjust
- to change something to fit a new situation
Quiz
Answer key
1. Break a losing streak 2. One win 3. He throws six or seven different pitches well
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 12th _____ of the season.
His performance helped the team break a recent _____.
The team is now just one win behind the top team in the entire _____.
Shohei Ohtani was also in the _____, batting first as the _____.
Yamamoto has become known as a very difficult pitcher to hit against.
Yelich said that Yamamoto throws six or seven different kinds of _____.
This variety makes it very hard for _____ to guess what is coming next.
Even opposing team managers have admitted they are impressed by Yamamoto's ability to _____ during games.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think variety in pitching makes a pitcher harder to hit?
- How important do you think it is for a team to have two star players like Yamamoto and Ohtani?
- What qualities do you think make a great pitcher?
- Do you follow any Japanese athletes playing overseas? Why or why not?