Dodgers React to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Historic Perfection Near-Miss vs. White Sox

Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto had the White Sox on the ropes as he worked towards perfection through 7.2 innings in their 7-1 win. The right-hander's bid for a perfect game came to an end when White Sox center fielder Tristan Peters took care of the no-hit bid in the ninth, ending the near historic pitching performance

Yamamoto spoke to Dodgers sideline reporter Kirsten Watson after the game, with Yoshihiro Sonoda serving as interpreter

"Today, the biggest key for me was to just be confident and just pound the strike zone," Yamamoto said

This marks the second consecutive season that Yamamoto has come close to throwing a no-hitter, after his attempt was spoiled by Jackson Holliday's home run against the Baltimore Orioles in 2025

"After the home runs, they took a moment for me. They told me let's get three more outs," Yamamoto said, referencing the moment when the team's coaches took a quick time-out to remind him he still had more work to do

Yamamoto retired Edgar Quero on a flyout before left-hander Alex Vesia took the mound and sealed the win with just eight pitches left in the game

A bit of irony came when shortstop Mookie Betts struggled on a ground ball from Chase Meidroth, deflecting to second baseman Santiago Espinal who ultimately lost the deflection

"Just a routine ground ball that I missed," Betts said in a post-game interview on SportsNet LA

Despite being aware of the team's no-hit bid, Betts said it didn't affect his play, and he acknowledged that he simply missed the ball

The perfect game was almost a reality, but it wasn't meant to be. Nevertheless, Yamamoto's historic performance left fans and his teammates in awe

Catcher Dalton Rushing praised Yamamoto's ability to get the job done, citing the catcher's confidence in the young pitcher: 'Everything was on, makes things a little easier on you.' He also mentioned Yamamoto's ability to adapt his pitch selection based on the situation on the field

Rushing believes Yamamoto has the potential to make history and have more opportunities for baseball's top honors