Dodgers fans, grab a seat and maybe something strong, because this one hurts.
Yamamoto Flirts With Greatness in Near No-Hitter
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the $325 million ace, was this close—this close—to making history. We’re talking 8 and 2/3 innings of pure, electrifying dominance. No hits, just a couple of walks, and 10 strikeouts that had the Baltimore Orioles swinging at ghosts. It had the makings of a magical night at Camden Yards, the kind of game you tell your grandkids about.
And then came Jackson Holliday.
The Orioles’ baby-faced phenom, the former No. 1 overall pick, steps up with two outs in the ninth. He works the count to 2-1, gets a cutter at 94 mph, and smokes it deep to right. At first, it looked like a double—but nope. The umps say it cleared the wall. Goodbye no-hitter. Goodbye shutout. Still, you figure Yamamoto walks off with the win, the crowd buzzes about his brilliance, and it’s just a footnote that he missed perfection by a breath.
Dodgers Bullpen Meltdown Wipes Out Historic Performance
But hold on. This is 2025 Dodgers baseball we’re talking about.
Dave Roberts goes to the bullpen, because of course he does. Blake Treinen comes in, and the unraveling begins. Double. Hit batter. Wild pitch. Walk. Bases loaded. Tension building. And then another walk—3-2 ballgame. Still two outs.
Roberts, clearly out of fingernails to chew off, turns to closer Tanner Scott, who’s supposed to be the guy to stop the bleeding. Instead, Emmanuel Rivera plays the hero Baltimore didn’t know it needed, roping a two-run single to walk it off. Just like that, the Orioles steal the win, and Yamamoto gets nothing for his brilliance but a nice stat line and a long, quiet plane ride home.
Five-Game Skid Shrinks Dodgers’ Division Lead
And as if that sting wasn’t sharp enough, this marks the Dodgers’ fifth straight loss. Their lead in the NL West? Down to just 1.5 games. The bullpen? A house of cards in a wind tunnel. The offense? MIA when it matters most.
So yeah, Yamamoto deserved better. Dodgers fans deserved better. But for now, it’s heartbreak in blue—again.
