Yoshinobu Yamamoto reflected on his near no-hitter against the White Sox on June 13, 2026, taking a perfect game into the 7th inning before allowing a home run in the 9th. "I had a perfect game through the middle of the 7th inning, and then the no-hitter continued after that," Yamamoto said during a press conference.
The Dodgers pitcher emphasized his aggressive approach throughout the outing. "I pitched with confidence and threw aggressively in the strike zone," he stated. Yamamoto praised his defense for their crucial support, noting they "helped me a lot and there were many situations where they kept my pitch count low."
Yamamoto had been building momentum with strong recent performances leading into this start. He acknowledged this was his second consecutive year being denied a no-hitter in the 9th inning, having pitched 8 and 2/3 innings in a similar bid during the 2025 season.
After allowing the home run, teammates visited the mound to provide emotional support and give him time to refocus. "They gave me time and we talked about continuing unchanged and getting three more outs," Yamamoto explained. The gesture demonstrated the team's solidarity during the crucial moment.
Despite falling short again, Yamamoto expressed determination to achieve his goal. "I'll practice again and work hard so I can go all the way next time," he said. He acknowledged the challenge ahead, adding, "Being denied in the 9th inning again after 2025, baseball is really difficult."