The Los Angeles Dodgers picked up a much-needed series victory over the Cincinnati Reds earlier this week, and they avoided some catastrophe along the way. Shohei Ohtani avoided a serious injury after leaving his latest start early, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto narrowly avoided being the subject of a home burglary while in Cincinnati for the Dodgers’ road trip.
According to reports, three people jumped over the back fence at Yamamoto’s home in Hollywood Hills before breaking a rear glass door. However, they never entered the property, quickly leaving afterwards, and it appears that Yamamoto’s dog may have ended up helping his owner out in a very unexpected way.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Dog Prevented Home Burglary
In his second MLB season, Yamamoto has looked more like the ace the Dodgers were expecting him to be when they lured him away from the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan. With several of their other starting pitchers dealing with injuries, Yamamoto’s consistent presence has been a welcome sight atop L.A.’s rotation.
Yamamoto has started 21 games this season, posting a 9-7 record with a 2.63 ERA and 133 strikeouts. Those numbers earned him the first All-Star selection of his career, and while he isn’t exactly the frontrunner to win the award, Yamamoto is firmly in the National League Cy Young race as we enter the month of August.
While Yamamoto carved up the Reds during his latest start for the Dodgers on Monday, giving up just one run on four hits while striking out nine over seven innings of work, he dealt with a concerning home burglary attempt along the way. However, the burglars were quickly rerouted by loud barking from Yamamoto’s dog, which gave the police time to show up and take control of the situation.
“The dog’s loud barking and a staff member who turned on lights likely helped thwart a burglary attempt early Wednesday morning at the Dodger phenom’s Hollywood Hills home, law enforcement told NBC4 Investigates,” Jonathan Lloyd and Dennis Broad of NBC Los Angeles reported.
“Staff members were home at the time and turned on the lights. Coupled with aggressive barking from Yamamoto’s dog, the would-be thieves turned tail, law enforcement told NBC4 Investigates on Thursday. Someone at the home called a private security member, who then called police.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Looking to Build Off of Dominant Outing Vs. Reds
GettyYoshinobu Yamamoto throws in the bottom of the second inning during the MLB Tokyo Series game against the Chicago Cubs on March 18, in Tokyo, Japan.
Dogs are considered a man’s best friend for several reasons, but in Yamamoto’s case, his dog is his best form of security apparently. While he was out making the Reds look silly at the plate, his dog was helping ward off potential burglars. Despite that, Yamamoto will likely increase security at his home moving forward, given how many other professional athletes have seen their homes be targeted in a widespread criminal scheme.
On the field, Yamamoto will be happy to have gotten his first win in a few weeks, especially after he endured a bit of a rough outing previously against the Minnesota Twins. With a series against the Tampa Bay Rays on the horizon, Yamamoto is on track to be back on the mound Sunday for the Dodgers in what could end up being a rubber match between two teams competing for playoff positioning.
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