Yoshinobu Yamamoto Falls Just Short of Perfection in Dodgers' Win

CHICAGO -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto was nearly perfect and nearly unhittable, but he ultimately fell short of both feats.

Yamamoto was four outs away from a perfect game when a Mookie Betts fielding error allowed the first White Sox baserunner to reach. He was three outs away from a no-hitter when he surrendered a home run to Tristan Peters to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning.

It was still pure domination: Yamamoto struck out seven and allowed just two baserunners across 8 1/3 innings in Saturday's 7-1 win at Rate Field.

Yamamoto came close to making some additional history in his dominant start on the South Side. His gem came after a start against the Angels where he set down his final 22 batters in order.

The perfect-game bid came to an end with two outs in the eighth inning, when Yamamoto got Chase Meidroth to ground a ball to the left side of the infield. Betts booted the ball at shortstop, and although second baseman Santiago Espinal found himself in position to attempt a second-chance play, Meidroth became the first White Sox hitter to reach base against Yamamoto.

After Peters broke up the no-hit bid with his ninth-inning long ball, Yamamoto got one final batter: No. 9 hitter Edgar Quero, who flied out to center fielder Andy Pages.

Yamamoto threw two no-hitters in Nippon Professional Baseball, but he is still looking for his first in the Majors. He came close last September in Baltimore, when he lost a no-hit bid after 8 2/3 innings.

Many around the Dodgers believe it's only a matter of time before Yamamoto breaks through for his first Major League no-hitter.