The Dodgers and Padres National League Division Series matchup has provided baseball fans many great moments, but Game 5 will be a significant moment for Japanese Baseball. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Yu Darvish slated to start, it will be the first time in postseason history that two Japanese-born pitchers start the game, according to MLB’s Sarah Langs.
Yamamoto and Darvish are two of the most distinguished baseballs in Nippon Professional baseball history. Both have won the Sawamura Award, multiple Pacific League MVP Awards, and the Japan Series.
Darvish played for the Nippon Ham Fighters from 2005-2011. Yamamoto played for the Orix Buffalos from 2017-2023. While Darvish is much older than Yamamoto, both were premier pitchers of their times in the NPB. Now, both have been given the ball with their respective team’s seasons on the line.
While they will be starting opposite each other tonight, the two were teammates in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Yamamoto led the Japanese team with 12 strikeouts in the tournament. Darvish pitched six innings and struck out two. Both were key members in Japan’s championship. Darvish also represented Japan in their 2009 WBC championship run. He led the tournament with 20 strikeouts.
The two Japanese legends will now have a chance to take the mound with a trip to the National League Championship Series on the line.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: Yu Darvish #11 of the San Diego Padres pitches during Game 2. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
