Yoshinobu Yamamoto's outing against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night was a tale of two pitchers—one dominant, one undone by a few costly mistakes. The Los Angeles Dodgers' ace took the mound looking to snap the team's three-game losing streak, but the offense managed just two runs and three hits in support, leaving Yamamoto with little margin for error.

Through the first eight batters, the right-hander was nearly flawless, retiring each one in clean, efficient fashion. But baseball has a way of humbling even the best, and it was Giants' No. 9 hitter Eric Hasse who broke the spell. Hasse got hold of a pitch and launched it out of the park—the first of two home runs he'd hit off Yamamoto on the night. The only other blemish? A solo shot from Harrison Bader, who had been mired in a brutal .136 slump.

Beyond those three home runs, Yamamoto surrendered just six hits. But the damage added up: he was charged with five runs, with two inherited runners later scoring after Blake Treinen came on in relief and allowed both to cross the plate.

For a pitcher as self-critical as Yamamoto, the final line may sting. But there were real signs of progress. His stuff looked sharp, and he appeared to tighten up his delivery, gaining better command. Notably, he avoided the first-inning struggles that have sometimes plagued him, mixing in six different pitch types to keep the Giants off balance. The approach paid off: he racked up 30 called strikes and whiffs on 93 pitches, finishing with eight strikeouts over six innings.

Yamamoto's next test comes Monday against the San Diego Padres in a series opener—a divisional showdown against the Dodgers' biggest challenger in the National League West. If he can build on the flashes of brilliance he showed against the Giants, this start might be remembered not for the final score, but as the night he found his groove.