"Straight Talk" is a regular feature in which The Sporting Tribune's John E. Gibson offers a full translation of media availability with Dodgers Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. He will also help translate when Lakers star Rui Hachimura and L.A. Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida are asked questions in Japanese.
The job of interpreters in the heat of the moment is difficult without the ability to write down questions and answers and re-hear responses for proper context. That's where John comes in to help. John currently works as a Japanese-English interpreter and covered pro baseball in Japan for about 20 years. His experience as a sports reporter includes stints at The Orange County Register, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts, The Yomiuri Shimbun’s English newspaper in Tokyo and The Epoch Times.
SAN DEIGO – Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-5) holds down San Diego, tossing six innings and allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks with five Ks, until the bats break out for nine runs in the sixth as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers batter the Padres 15-3. Yamamoto keeps the Padres off the board until a fifth-run homer ties the score, but the bats help him earn his eighth victory of the season.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (W (8-5), 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 89 P) recaps his outing in the 15-3 win over the Padres to tie the series. pic.twitter.com/hVs1la7kkw
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 28, 2026
Q: Yoshi, just first, navigating through their lineup, I know when you look at your last one, you were excellent, but the early home run – how different did you feel going into this one and wanting to start with that clean first inning?
Yamamoto: I felt about like I usually do when going into a game – felt good at the start and held them down in the first inning. After that, the home run ball was a little up in the zone and a little toward the middle of the plate, you have to credit the opponent for hitting it, but if I could’ve put it in a better location or had the height been in a better place, I think that ball probably only manages to get to the warning track.
Q: How different is it when you are pitching – whether it’s a one-run game, a tie game – to when you come back in and you have a nine-run lead?
Yamamoto: Sure, there’s somewhat of a difference, but even if you get a bunch or runs or after getting out to a big lead, I just try not to pay much attention to the score and go out and do my job on the mound.
Q: Did you get bored during the sixth inning, how long that took?
Yamamoto: It was a long one, but I tried to stay warm and just stayed focused.
Q: In your last start, you said that your feel was a little off, especially for the splitter. Is there anything you did in between starts to get that back today?
Yamamoto: The feel for it still isn’t great, but with just the tiniest adjustment, I’m able to get swings and misses with it now and sometimes get a few ground balls. It’s a pitch that with just a slight something here or there so it’s going in a good direction now and I want to continue making adjustments and make it so that I can miss more bats with it.