Yoshinobu Yamamoto spoke about his approach following a tightly contested game in which he helped the Los Angeles Dodgers get past the Diamondbacks. He explained that he had already been feeling good with his stuff before the game started, which allowed him to carry that same confidence onto the mound once the contest began.
Yamamoto indicated that he focused on attacking the strike zone with conviction rather than pitching cautiously against a difficult lineup. He acknowledged that he wished he could have worked deeper into the game, but he also credited the opposing lineup for putting together strong at-bats that made things challenging throughout his outing.
Asked about the significance of the team pulling out a win in this type of game, Yamamoto pointed to the fact that the club had been dealing with a losing stretch beforehand. He said that desire to snap that skid was shared by everyone in the clubhouse, and he felt that collective mindset carried the team through to the finish.
When asked about how his overall stuff played into his ability to attack hitters, Yamamoto said his delivery felt strong and allowed him to throw with good balance and power. He mentioned that this helped him generate whiffs at times, and that his fastball was consistently locating well, which in turn gave him the confidence to keep firing.
On the topic of his physical condition, Yamamoto noted that he had dealt with some discomfort before a previous start, but said he had since returned to normal without issue. He added that he was able to continue his usual training routine and did not notice any lingering changes, allowing him to prepare for this outing as he normally would.