Yoshinobu Yamamoto spoke at a team press conference on June 7, 2026, reflecting on how he settled in after a difficult first inning to retire 22 consecutive hitters and pitch through 8 innings.
Yamamoto said he stayed composed after surrendering the early run and kept his pitch count low. "I was just, you know, composed and then kept my pitch count low and then that was good things I was able to go through," he said. He noted that the Los Angeles Dodgers' 9-run support allowed him to focus on executing pitches in the strike zone, adding that being able to attack the zone consistently was a key positive from the outing.
After the lengthy first and second innings, Yamamoto described a deliberate reset routine. He explained that he went back inside, warmed up more than usual compared to a typical between-inning break, and then returned to the mound — a process he credited with helping him refocus. He also stated that despite holding a large lead, he never let his guard down and consciously balanced bold and precise pitching throughout the game.
Yamamoto acknowledged that the run cushion gave him room to experiment with pitch location, but noted he would reset for his next start and approach it as a separate challenge. He also stated that his overall performance has improved across his last four strong outings, including his set-position delivery, saying he feels things have been working out across the board.
Yamamoto also praised teammate Roki Sasaki, saying that Sasaki's outing on June 6, 2026 was the best pitching performance Sasaki had delivered to that point in the season. "It was Roki's best pitching among all his outings, so I was really happy about that," Yamamoto said. Yamamoto added that he intends to reset fully and treat his next outing as a fresh start.