The Dodgers opened a three-game home series against the Pirates on Thursday night with Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled to start, and the matchup comes at a good time for both sides. Los Angeles returned home after a 6-4, 10-inning win over the Rockies at Coors Field on Wednesday, while Pittsburgh arrived in Chavez Ravine looking to stay competitive despite sitting fourth in the NL Central and three games below.500.
Yamamoto has been one of the Dodgers' most reliable arms in August. Entering this start, he owned a 1.83 ERA across 19 2/3 innings, with 18 strikeouts and six walks. It was the kind of stretch the Dodgers have been hoping to see from their top starter, and it gave them a clear advantage in a series opener against a Pirates lineup that has been productive even if the standings have not reflected it.
Why the matchup matters
The Pirates have not been an easy team to dismiss. They entered the game with the most hits and the third most runs in MLB, which makes them a lineup that can create trouble even without a winning record. That is part of what makes this game interesting: Pittsburgh has enough contact and run production to pressure a pitcher, but Yamamoto has been in control for most of the month.
This was Yamamoto's fourth start in August, and the Dodgers were hoping his recent form would continue. He also had a reason to be wary of Pittsburgh. Back in April of 2025, he faced the Pirates once before and took a 3-0 loss. The Dodgers knew that one outing would not define the matchup, but it did offer a reminder that Pittsburgh has seen him well enough to leave with a result.
What Yamamoto has done lately
The right-hander's last few appearances have only strengthened his case as one of the best pitchers in the National League this month. He had a 2.60 ERA in 19 2/3 innings entering the game, and his ability to miss bats while limiting free passes has been a major part of that success. In one of his recent outings, he needed just 26 pitches to get through the first inning, then settled into a rhythm and allowed one run over six innings with nine strikeouts.
Yamamoto said he had tried to be too fine in the first inning in that outing, but he quickly corrected course. That ability to adjust is part of why the Dodgers have leaned on him so heavily. When he is attacking the zone and not overthinking early counts, he can look every bit like the front-line starter Los Angeles expected when it brought him in.
The Pirates, meanwhile, have a lineup with some power and enough on-base pressure to make the game interesting, even if their overall record still lags behind their production. Oneil Cruz has been part of that conversation as well, especially after missing time since the beginning of June with a left hand fracture. Even without him at full strength for much of the summer, Pittsburgh has still found ways to score.
For the Dodgers, the formula is straightforward: get a strong start from Yamamoto, keep the Pirates from building momentum, and carry the home-stand momentum from Colorado into the rest of the series. For the Pirates, the challenge is just as clear. They need to turn a productive lineup into enough early pressure to make Yamamoto work, because his August numbers suggest he is not likely to give away much on his own.
