Yamamoto Yoshinobu's great pitching goes to waste as Shohei Ohtani hits home runs in four consecutive games, but the Dodgers still lose.

On the 23rd, Dodgers' Japanese ace Yamamoto Yoshinobu made his first start after the All-Star Game against the Twins. He pitched five innings, allowing three runs and striking out eight, delivering a quality start. However, due to errors from teammates, he missed out on his ninth win of the season, and the Dodgers ultimately lost 10-7.

In the first inning, Yamamoto struck out two batters, retiring the side. However, in the second inning, he first gave up an infield hit, then walked the next batter. After Matt Wallner flew out to right field, Yamamoto allowed Royce Lewis to hit a ground ball. There was a chance for a double play to escape the jam, but a fielding error by third baseman Miguel Rojas allowed the Twins to score first. Later, Christian Vazquez hit a double, adding two more runs for the Dodgers.

Although the Dodgers tied the game in the fourth inning with a three-run homer from Andy Pages, and Yamamoto retired three batters in the fifth, the bullpen faltered in the sixth and seventh innings, giving up three runs each. In the bottom of the ninth, despite Ohtani hitting a two-run homer, it was not enough to turn the game around. Ohtani set a personal record by hitting home runs in four consecutive games for the first time in his career, becoming the first Japanese player to achieve this feat. He is currently tied with Eugenio Suarez of the Diamondbacks for the National League home run lead with 36 homers.

In this game, Yamamoto pitched five innings, throwing 101 pitches, allowing five hits and three runs, with only one earned run. He now has an 8-7 record this season with an ERA of 2.59.

Although the Dodgers are still ranked first in the National League West, their performance in July has not been ideal. They have suffered a seven-game losing streak and, including today's game, have lost 11 games in the month. Addressing the team's recent slump, Yamamoto said in a post-game interview: "The season is long, and both individuals and teams go through ups and downs. However, we give our all every day without slackening our efforts. I hope everyone can work together to get through this tough period; this is the time to show teamwork and unity, and we must stick together."