Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed only two runs in his four starts during September, and for his efforts was on Tuesday named the National League pitcher of the month.
Yamamoto only allowed seven hits in 27 innings during September, during which he struck out 34 batters to go with a minuscule 0.66 ERA. He came within one out of a no-hitter on September 6 against the Orioles in Baltimore, and then allowed exactly one hit in each of his next two starts as well, the first Dodgers pitcher to allow one or zero
hits in at least five innings in three consecutive starts.
The All-Star right-hander had a 2.49 ERA in 30 starts, and was the only Dodgers starting pitcher to remain on the active roster all season. His 173 2/3 innings made Yamamoto the first Dodger to qualify for leaderboards since 2022, and his 201 strikeouts were the most by any Dodgers pitcher since Walker Buehler in 2021.
Yamamoto will start for the Dodgers in Game 2 of the wild card series against the Reds on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
This is the second NL pitcher of the month award this season, who also won for March/April. He’s the only NL pitcher to win two such awards this season. He’s the first Dodgers pitcher with multiple pitcher of the month awards in the same season since Clayton Kershaw won for both June and July in 2014.
Shohei Ohtani is the only other Dodger with a monthly award this season, winning NL player of the month for May.
