Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered six dominant innings. Tommy Edman broke a scoreless tie with a three-run home run in the sixth as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. With the win, the Dodgers extended their perfect home record to 7-0 and earned their third win over the Cubs this season, including a sweep in their season-opening series in Tokyo.
The Dodgers entered the game as moderate favorites, with most sportsbooks listing them at around -160 on the moneyline, while the Cubs were priced at approximately +140. The projected total for the matchup was 8.5 runs, which was not threatened due to strong pitching performances on both sides.
Yamamoto and Cubs starter Matthew Boyd matched each other through five scoreless innings, each keeping opposing hitters off balance. In his fourth start of the season, Yamamoto retired 16 of the first 18 batters he faced, striking out nine and walking just one across six shutout innings. The performance improved Yamamoto’s record to 2-1, lowering his ERA to one of the best among National League starters.
The Cubs had limited offensive opportunities against Yamamoto, recording only two hits in the game’s first six innings. Chicago’s best early chance came in the fourth inning when Kyle Tucker doubled down the first-base line and Seiya Suzuki followed with a single to right. However, Suzuki was thrown out attempting to stretch the hit into a double, while Tucker advanced to third. Yamamoto escaped the jam and preserved the shutout.
Boyd, who had been sharp through five innings, allowed a one-out single to Teoscar Hernández in the sixth before hitting Freddie Freeman with a pitch. That set the stage for Edman, who launched a three-run home run deep into the left-field pavilion. The blast was Edman’s sixth of the season, tying him for the league lead with Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, and Mike Trout. It was also the first home run allowed by Boyd in three starts this year.
Edman also made his presence felt defensively, tracking down a ground ball up the middle in the top of the sixth and firing across his body to record a key out, helping Yamamoto maintain the scoreless tie at the time.
Boyd took the loss, falling to 1-1. He allowed three runs on four hits over six innings while striking out seven and walking three.
Shohei Ohtani went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts, ending his streak of reaching base in 29 consecutive games, which dated back to September 14, 2024.
Tanner Scott recorded the final three outs for Los Angeles, notching his fourth-season save. The Dodgers’ bullpen was a strength, locking down a win with three shutout innings following Yamamoto’s start.
The series continues Saturday as the Cubs are set to start right-hander Ben Brown, who enters with a 1-1 record and a 7.71 ERA. The Dodgers will counter with highly regarded rookie Roki Sasaki, who is still seeking his first win. Sasaki has yet to complete five innings in his first three major league starts and brings a 0-0 record and 4.15 ERA into the matchup.
