LOS ANGELES — Friday marked the second time the Cubs had faced Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto this season, but the familiarity didn’t seem to help in a 3-0 loss.
The Cubs put just three baserunners on against Yamamoto, who held them to two hits through six innings. The Cubs were shut out for the first time this season.
Yamamoto, who primarily relies on his fastball, split-finger and curveball, generated seven whiffs with his splitter, including four for strike three.
"It's a good pitch," Cubs first baseman Michael Busch said. "It's hard. You don't really see splitters that move like that in the low-to-mid 90s. But I thought we had a good plan going into it. He's really good. Got to tip your cap to him."
On the mound, Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd fell into lockstep with Yamamoto, matching his zeros on the scoreboard for five innings. But in the sixth, Boyd allowed a single to Teoscar Hernandez, hit Freddie Freeman with a pitch and surrendered a three-run homer to Tommy Edman.
Those were the first runs Boyd had given up all season. He allowed four hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in six innings.
"Those are the kind of games that you want to compete in, when Yamamoto is throwing his best as well," Boyd said. "And it's a welcomed challenge. Stings that I was on the wrong end of it, but it's something that you enjoy being a part of."
