In a historic matchup during Game 5 of the National League Division Series on October 12, Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres, marking the first time in MLB postseason history that two Japanese pitchers started against each other. Yamamoto led the Dodgers to a 2-0 victory with an impressive performance, throwing five scoreless innings with just two hits allowed.

After the game, Yamamoto joined his teammates in a celebratory champagne shower, which included Ohtani. During an interview, he expressed his happiness about performing well and helping the team win. He noted the excitement of the celebration, saying, "The joy is immense, and I’ll work hard to win two more games and become world champions."

When discussing his matchup with Darvish, Yamamoto shared his admiration, stating, "It was a wonderful game, and I’m personally happy to have pitched in the same game. I truly respect him." Just as he was about to share more about Darvish, Ohtani playfully poured champagne over his head, bringing laughter and joy to the moment.

After the festivities, the team wore special T-shirts and hats to celebrate their advancement to the league championship series. Yamamoto, still smiling, emphasized his commitment to taking it one game at a time and working hard to become world champions.