NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DODGERS VS BREWERS

October 11, 2026

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

American Family Field

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. Yoshi, you have familiarity going up against this lineup. What poses to either be the biggest challenge with either their bat-to-ball skills, how patient they are, and how important is it for you to kind of set the tone early with this matchup?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: It's a great lineup obviously, very strong lineup. I want to be careful not to make a mistake, a first mistake before they do.

Q. You have one of the most consistent routines in MLB in terms of pregame. Why is it so important to be so disciplined in that?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: It's very important for me because that's a routine I started when I was 18, when I first got in NPB. That's why it's important.

Q. Do you feel like, when it's regular season or postseason, your ability to stay consistent with a routine is part of the reason why you have been so successful?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: I believe the important thing for me is I do the same routine at the same intention and same intensity. That's very important.

Q. The last five postseason games that you've pitched in have all been on the road, all been wins. Your numbers on the road during the regular season are very good as well. Why do you think that is? Why are you successful on the road?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: Just completely to be honest with you, I'm not sure. I just do the same routine, and I haven't really changed much.

Q. I want to ask you about your thoughts on starting pitching and your responsibility as a starter. You usually go into the seventh inning or later and you make all your starts. Not a lot of guys do that. What is your thought on -- how would you define your job as a starting pitcher and how are you able to pitch, make every start, pitch deep in starts the way you do?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: In terms of postseason, I don't think how deep I can go in the game is as important as the regular season, but postseason I just want to limit the damage, not giving up many runs and just like focusing on my job, and it ended up getting me deep into the game.

Q. In the lead-up and also when you're on the mound, do you feel any difference between a regular season game and a postseason game, and if it feels the same, how do you make it feel the same?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: During a regular season, I take every game just as important as postseason game, and then when I go into postseason, I just try to take it as just a regular season game, just normal game.

Q. You just talked about your routine, and then you've been doing that routine for that long. When you feel something's off, can you find the answer within you?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: Because the physical condition varies day-to-day, what I do to get myself ready for every start is just make an adjustment when I feel a little bit something different in between starts.

Q. The last year before the Game 2 against the Brewers, you said at the press conference, you said losing isn't an option. Compared to that time, do you feel something different?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: Mentally I feel the same, and then of course it's postseason, then my accumulated experience in the postseason, I think that will benefit me.