{"id":13064,"date":"2026-06-07T19:32:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T19:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13064"},"modified":"2026-06-07T19:32:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T19:32:01","slug":"more-quality-starts-has-been-a-key-to-dodgers-championship-pace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13064","title":{"rendered":"More quality starts has been a key to Dodgers\u2019 championship pace"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

LOS ANGELES \u2014 The Dodgers\u2019 record after 65 games shows they\u2019re slightly ahead of the pace they established the past two seasons, both of which ended with a World Series title.<\/p>\n

Read more Lawsuit seeks to stop the UFC fight on the White House South Lawn for Trump\u2019s birthday<\/a><\/p>\n

When holding their numbers closer to the light, however, an area that\u2019s showing significant improvement is the rise in quality starts by their pitching staff.<\/p>\n

Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered the MLB-leading 38th quality start of the season for the Dodgers on Saturday night against the visiting Angels, allowing one run and two hits over eight innings in the 9-2 victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey understand the task at hand when they\u2019re given the ball,\u201d Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing said. \u201cWe have starters in this room that can go out and strike out 10, 12, and we have guys that understand they can get quick outs and go deep in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yamamoto\u2019s latest performance followed three consecutive high-quality starts by Shohei Ohtani, Justin Wrobleski and R\u014dki Sasaki on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.<\/p>\n

The trio combined to throw 19 scoreless innings while allowing just 10 hits.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fun to watch all these guys go out there every night and dominate, and it makes you want to go out there and see if we can match it, or better,\u201d Wrobleski said before the Dodgers hosted the Angels on Sunday afternoon in the finale of their three-game series. \u201cI think that\u2019s kind of how we all operate, and I think that\u2019s why we\u2019ve been so good this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

A quality start consists of at least six innings pitched and three or fewer runs allowed. The Dodgers finished tied for 18th in the MLB in quality starts last season (52) and tied for 21st in 2024 (50).<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

With less stress on their relievers so far this season, the Dodgers entered Sunday with the best bullpen ERA in the majors (2.95) and the fewest innings pitched (195).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes the gameplanning a little easier for the bullpen coming in and only wearing two or three innings max, rather than five or six,\u201d Rushing said. \u201cIt\u2019s an easy way to win a lot of baseball games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yamamoto was the only Dodgers\u2019 pitcher with a quality start in at least half his outings last season, but so far this season, Yamamoto has met that standard in nine of his 12 appearances, Ohtani in nine of 10, and Wrobleski in seven of 10.<\/p>\n

Wrobleski, who returned to the starting rotation this season after making 22 of 24 appearances out of the bullpen in 2025, said starting pitchers tend to operate more independently than relief pitchers, but this season has been different.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe have good chemistry,\u201d he said. \u201cWe kind of talk about things, and we just feed off each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Israel says Iran launched missiles at it in the first such bombardment during fragile ceasefire<\/a><\/p>\n

MORE FOR WARD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ryan Ward is taking advantage of his second opportunity with the Dodgers.<\/p>\n

The left-handed hitting outfielder was back in the lineup on Sunday after producing a two-run run double in the nine-run first inning on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

Ward was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on May 30 after outfielder Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez went on the injured list because of a left hamstring strain.<\/p>\n

Ward, 28, produced two doubles, a home run and four RBIs in the first four games after his recall.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just seems very relaxed,\u201d Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday night. \u201cHe seems confident, his swings show that. He\u2019s playing some nice left field too, so I Iike that kind of youthful enthusiasm, just being happy to be there. That\u2019s refreshing, and it\u2019s nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beginning with Jose Soriano of the Angels on Sunday, the Dodgers are scheduled to face all right-handed starting pitchers over the next nine games, including a matchup against last season\u2019s NL Cy Young Award winner, Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates, on Tuesday in the opener of a six-game road trip.<\/p>\n

That should give Ward a few more opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou lose an All Star in Teo, but you get a way to get a guy who\u2019s been in our system an opportunity,\u201d Roberts said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s fun for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

LINEUP TWEEKS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rushing was also back in Sunday\u2019s starting lineup after Will Smith was a late scratch on Saturday because of neck stiffness.<\/p>\n

Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages and shortstop Mookie Betts were given Sunday off.<\/p>\n

Pages blasted a two-run homer in the first inning on Saturday, but is hitting .179 in his past nine games. Betts is hitting .167 in his past 10 games.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look up and down the lineup, there\u2019s a lot of guys that really aren\u2019t doing what they\u2019re going to do, but I still feel that, with the sum of the parts, we\u2019re still very good offensively,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n

UP NEXT<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dodgers are off Monday.<\/p>\n

Dodgers (LHP Eric Lauer, 2-5, 5.74 ERA) at Pirates (RHP Paul Skenes, 6-5, 3.09 ERA), Tuesday, 3:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM<\/p>\n

Read more Long Beach takes center stage as new amphitheater opens with Snoop Dogg<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yamamoto delivered the MLB-leading 38th quality start of the season for the Dodgers on Saturday night against the visiting Angels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMore quality starts has been a key to Dodgers\u2019 championship pace - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13064\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"More quality starts has been a key to Dodgers\u2019 championship pace - 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