Yamamoto’s masterful outing leads Dodgers to Game 2 win over Blue Jays to even up World Series
By Jacob Lev, CNN
(CNN) — The Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back from a disappointing start to the World Series to take Game 2 over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Saturday night at the Rogers Centre.
Starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto yet again pitched a complete game, retiring the final 20 batters he faced as the Dodgers tied up the series at 1-1.
The 27-year-old struck out nine batters, giving up one earned run on four hits allowed.
It was Yamamoto’s second consecutive complete game in the postseason, becoming the first Dodgers pitcher to do so since Orel Hershiser in 1988, according to the Fox broadcast.
Just like on Friday, the Dodgers got the scoring started early after catcher Will Smith hit an RBI single to score Freddie Freeman and take a 1-0 lead.
But Jays starter Kevin Gausman was able regain control after a rocky first inning, with Toronto eventually tying the game at 1-1 following an Alejandro Kirk sacrifice fly in the third inning.
Gausman had retired 17 straight Dodger batters until the seventh inning, when Smith yet again got the best of him, hitting a solo home run to break the stale mate. And Los Angeles did not stop there.
After getting Teoscar Hernandez to strike out, Gausman gave up another solo shot — this time to Max Muncy as the Dodgers extended their lead and knocked the 34-year-old out of the game.
It was the first postseason game in MLB history where two pitchers retired 17 or more consecutive batters, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Dodgers tacked on two more runs in the eighth inning before Yamamoto was able to close things out.
It was the first complete game in a World Series since 2015, when the Kansas City Royals’ Johnny Cueto against the New York Mets in Game 2.
Yamamoto is also the first pitcher since Curt Schilling to throw consecutive complete games in a postseason. The former Arizona Diamondback threw three straight in 2001.
“I’m very happy and proud of the fact that I was able to bring a big contribution and give a chance for the team to win,” Yamamoto told reporters via a translator after the game.
Despite all the success, Yamamoto downplayed any history he has made including previously becoming the first Japanese Japanese-born player to throw a complete game in the MLB postseason.
“To be honest, I’m not sure about the history, but I’m very happy about what I did today,” he added.
Smith, who caught the last two starts for Yamamoto, called those outings “fun.”
“He can kind of do everything,” Smith told the Fox broadcast. “Locate his fastballs so well, he’s got the curveball, the split. He was throwing some good cutters today. Two seams. He just had everything going and really keep it off balance.”
The Fall Classic will now shift to Los Angeles with Game 3 scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m ET.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
The-CNN-Wire
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