CHICAGO (AP) 鈥� Yoshinobu Yamamoto was so close. Again.
Yamamoto sailed into the ninth inning with a no-hit bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Tristan Peters hit a leadoff homer for the Chicago White Sox. The Japanese right-hander had to settle for a dominant performance in on Saturday.
The 27-year-old Yamamoto also carried a no-hitter into the ninth at Baltimore on Sept. 6. He surrendered a solo homer to Jackson Holliday with two out, and Los Angeles went on to .
This time, Alex Vesia closed it out for the Dodgers. But Yamamoto was left to wonder about another close call.
鈥淲hat I did, I didn’t make it, complete it, because of the ninth inning, the no-hitter,鈥� Yamamoto said through a translator. 鈥淏ut how I was pitching, I was pretty satisfied.鈥�
Yamamoto, who was the when the Dodgers won their second consecutive championship, improved to 4-0 with a sparkling 0.94 in his last four starts. He has surrendered 14 hits and struck out 24 in 28 2/3 innings during his win streak.
If he keeps pitching like he has been, there might be more no-hit opportunities on the horizon.
鈥淗e can attack the plate on both sides from ball to strike probably better than anybody I鈥檝e ever seen,鈥� Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said.
Yamamoto retired his last 22 batters while pitching eight innings in against the Angels in his previous start. Then he retired his first 23 batters against Chicago.
The streak 鈥� and Yamamoto’s bid for a perfect game 鈥� ended when shortstop Mookie Betts mishandled Chase Meidroth’s in the eighth inning for an error.
鈥淚鈥檓 not making any excuses. I should have made the play,鈥� Betts said.
Jacob Gonzalez bounced to second for the final out in the eighth, but Peters hit a drive to right on a 96.6 mph fastball from Yamamoto. It was Peters’ third homer of the season.
Yamamoto departed after Edgar Quero flied to center for the first out in the ninth. He was saluted with a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 37,832 as he made his way off the field.
鈥淥ne of the best outings we鈥檝e seen from an opponent this year,鈥� White Sox manager Will Venable said. 鈥淭he stuff was outstanding. Lived on the edges. We didn鈥檛 have a ton to hit.鈥�
Yamamoto struck out seven. He threw a season-high 109 pitches, 74 for strikes.
Before the ninth inning, Chase Meidroth had the best chance for a hit for the White Sox. He had a liner hook just foul before he struck out swinging for the final out of the fifth.
There was a short delay before the bottom of the sixth while the grounds crew worked on the area around the pitching rubber on the mound. But Yamamoto had no issues when the game resumed, striking out Gonzalez on a full-count cutter before Peters bounced to first and Quero fouled out to left.
鈥淗e was in the zone. He kept it out of the middle. I mean, kept them off balance,鈥� Betts said. 鈥淚 mean that’s just Yoshi being Yoshi, you know. I鈥檓 glad he鈥檚 on our team.鈥�
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