LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers played one of their sloppiest defensive games of the season and watched it end on a robbed home run by Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. But Tuesday night provided them with an unmistakable dose of optimism -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto returned after a three-month hiatus, and his stuff looked as sharp as ever.

Before the Dodgers lost 6-3, dropping their division lead to 4½ games, Yamamoto limited the Cubs to only a run in four innings of work, during which he struck out eight batters. His fastball averaged more than 96 mph. His splitter and curveball looked devastating. His command was as sharp as anyone could have reasonably expected, considering he hadn't pitched in a major league game since suffering a strained rotator cuff June 15.

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