If you tuned into Dodgers vs. Brewers expecting just a baseball game, you might’ve thought you accidentally switched to a live Cirque du Soleil performance when Yoshinobu Yamamoto showed up for warmups.
Yamamoto’s Wild Routine Has Fans Losing It
The Dodgers’ Japanese ace, who’s set to start Game 2 of the NLCS, decided to throw in a little pregame gymnastics routine before Game 1 — and let me tell you, it was something. Caught on Spectrum SportsNet, Yamamoto dropped into a full-on bridge stretch (yes, like the one your high school cheerleading squad did), then kicked his feet up onto the wall and climbed it. And if that wasn’t enough to make you raise your eyebrows and spill your soda, he cartwheeled off the wall like a man auditioning for Tokyo 2028.
Fans were baffled, amused, and frankly, impressed. One viewer quipped, “Bro is in the wrong sport.” Another went full stand-up: “If you don’t take yo a** to Cirque Ole lmao.” And the hits kept coming: “I’ll nominate him for a slot on the Japanese gymnastics team,” one fan offered.
Dodgers Lock Down Game 1 Without Their Star Starter
But while Yamamoto was busy defying gravity, his teammates were busy locking things down. The Dodgers scraped out a tight 2-1 win in Game 1, thanks to some absolutely dominant pitching. Blake Snell? He was lights out — eight scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts, didn’t even blink. Then Roki Sasaki and Blake Treinen came in and closed it out like cold-blooded assassins.
Freddie Freeman reminded everyone why he’s still one of the most consistent bats in the league, going deep in the sixth and ripping a double in the eighth to give LA the offensive edge they needed.
Redemption Arc Incoming for Game 2?
Now, all eyes turn to Yamamoto. He didn’t pitch in the opener, but he’s on deck for Game 2 — and he’s got some unfinished business. His last outing against Milwaukee was brutal. He gave up five runs (three earned) in less than an inning back in July. Not the kind of memory you want haunting you in October.
But this is postseason baseball — where yesterday’s disaster becomes today’s highlight reel. And if Yamamoto brings even half the flair to the mound that he did to the wall, we might just be in for a show.
Flips, fire, and maybe a few strikeouts. Let’s see what the man’s really got.
