On Tuesday night, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a kind of performance that reminded the Dodgers why they shelled out $325 million. With such a multi-million-dollar contract comes a pool of expectations. And Yamamoto knows how to live up to it. It was the kind of night when the Dodgers were desperate to end the tough 4-game losing streak. Yamamoto entered the mound to play his role throughout the game.

After the game, it was Shohei Ohtani, his teammate, who adorably addressed Yamamoto’s stellar performance. Well, after all, Yamamoto took his no-hit bid into the seventh inning against the D-backs. He retired batters in order across 5 innings.

Ohtani took to his Instagram to celebrate Yamamoto’s moment. And, it wasn’t any usual celebratory post. It was something that reflected their chemistry.

In the picture Ohtani shared, Yamamoto was candidly captured in his mid-speech, half-eyes-shut kind of expression. The next story he shared was even more hilarious. It was his attempt to mimic Yamamoto’s expression with a cub, who also had his half-eyes shut and mouth wide open.

Well, that’s just Ohtani’s way!

It was a dominant start from Yamamoto; he carried a no-hitter bid till the seventh inning. And certainly contributed to the Dodgers’ 4-3 walk-off against the D-backs win in 10 innings. His no-hit bid came to an end during the seventh inning. It was when Ketel Marte hit a single and set the tone at the start of the inning itself.

However, Yamamoto didn’t hold back. He struck out Pavin Smith with his ninth and last strikeout, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. After all, the Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t afford a 5th lost game.

Addressing the win, Yamamoto said post-game, “A win like this is great.” Great is certainly an understatement. It was one phenomenal victory both on and off the field for Yamamoto. A teammate like Ohtani, who is a generational player himself, never misses a chance to celebrate his teammates’ achievements. Even though, in the most hilarious way possible.

Meanwhile, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts also addressed Yamamoto’s stellar performance.

Manager Dave Roberts ‘wasn’t stressed at all’ with Yamamoto on the pitching mound

Throughout Dave Roberts’ managerial tenure, he hasn’t used the term “ace” that easily for any player. However, ahead of the Dodgers-Diamondbacks game, he used it to compliment Yamamoto.

Roberts was at ease with the team and Yamamoto on the field. He said, “He was dialed in from the first pitch. Wasn’t stressed at all. Stayed in his throw. Everything was consistent all night.” It’s Yamamoto’s winner mindset that has earned him such statements from Roberts.

The Japanese phenom already has a record of 110 pitches across his 4 starts. Against the D-backs, he had held the longest hitless stretch of his tenure so far—6 whole innings.

After the game, he stated in a media appearance, “I’m glad I was able to contribute to today’s win. I’d like to continue bringing my contribution to the team.” Sounds promising? At least in Tuesday’s game, he backed his words up pitch by pitch.

The mix of pitches Yamamoto played against the D-backs kept the hitters confused throughout. The curveball and splitter—he relied heavily on both. Moreover, his capabilities didn’t go unnoticed by the manager.

Roberts addressed, “He’s really confident in his ability. That confidence allows him to execute, get ahead in counts, and stay aggressive.”

Now, all eyes will be on Yamamoto if he’s able to deliver the same stellar performance in the next matchup as well. The Los Angeles Dodgers (30-19) are scheduled to go up against the D-Backs (26-23) on 21st May.

How excited are you?