Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 batters to shut down the Phillies, leading the Dodgers to a 9-1 home victory.

In the initial two matchups of the weekend series with the Phillies, manager Dave Roberts had not extended his starting pitchers to their maximum. However, the Dodgers' manager understood he could count on his standout pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, to leave it all out there today.

Justin Wrobleski (seven innings on Saturday) and Roki Sasaki (5.1 innings on Sunday) both threw fewer than 90 pitches. Yamamoto needed 94 pitches to complete five innings in a grinding battle against the Phillies, yet Roberts still sent him out for the sixth.

Yamamoto once again rewarded that trust. He issued his first walk of the game in the sixth inning but immediately recorded his 10th strikeout, tying his career high, to cap an outstanding start. Will Klein stranded the runners Yamamoto left behind, sealing a perfect line for his outing: 5.1 innings, no runs, four hits, and two walks. The Dodgers routed the Phillies 9-1 today, taking two of three in the series.

Yamamoto threw 104 pitches overall, marking the fourth time this season he has exceeded 100 pitches. No other pitcher on the Dodgers has thrown more than 100 pitches in a game more than twice this year.

Facing a Phillies team that has been finding its rhythm again in May, with a chance to win the series, the Dodgers could not think of a better candidate than Yamamoto to take the mound. He has become a player who instills confidence in the entire team every time he pitches.

"You couldn't script a more perfect athlete—truly, you can't," Roberts said before the game. "He has that gentle, disciplined side, along with the toughness and killer instinct we often talk about. I could go on about him for a long time."

Yamamoto's first two strikeouts were aided by catcher Dalton Rushing's challenges. Rushing challenged two disputed balls against Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the first inning, winning both calls, turning potential walks into strikeouts. As of today, Rushing has succeeded on three of his eight ABS challenges as a catcher.

With Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott both unavailable, the Dodgers' bullpen had only one left-handed pitcher—Jack Dreyer, who had just been activated. So despite his high pitch count, Yamamoto remained in the game to face left-handed hitters Harper and Brandon Marsh in the sixth. The Dodgers wouldn't do this for every starter, but Yamamoto has earned that privilege. And his team continues to reap the rewards of letting him go all out.