Dodgers Ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto Makes World Series History With Legendary Performance

Yoshinobu Yamamoto's latest performance has been unreal.

Pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the World Series, the Japanese pitcher tossed nine dominating innings in a 5–1 win that quieted an initially raucous Rogers Centre crowd and tied the series at one game each.

Masterclass in Precision and Composure

With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounding out for the last out, Yamamoto's smile told the whole story; the rookie star had again shown why he is one of baseball's top pitchers today.

From the first pitch, Yamamoto was focused. He struck out eight, walked none, and allowed only four hits over 105 pitches, retiring his last 20 batters.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts couldn't stop singling out his ace, describing the performance as "outstanding, uber competitive, and special."

Roberts described Yamamoto's pre-series mentality, quoting him as having said, "Losing is not an option." On Saturday night, he fulfilled every word.

Yamamoto Joins Elite Postseason Legends

Yamamoto's consecutive complete games make him the first pitcher since Curt Schilling in 2001 to do so in consecutive postseason starts, per Sports Illustrated. He's also the first to accomplish the feat in the World Series since Orel Hershiser in 1988, a coincidence, given that Hershiser is another Dodgers legend.

To make his performance even more convincing, Yamamoto took charge even while surrendering control of his signature four-seam fastball. Rather, he relied almost exclusively on his biting slider and looping curveball, supplementing them with cutters and sinkers to keep the Toronto hitters off balance all evening.

Blue Jays Left in Awe

Even the Blue Jays' dugout could do no more than tip their caps. Toronto manager John Schneider admitted that Yoshinobu "was just that good." He added that the Dodgers pitcher did a good job of slowing them down throughout the entire game.

Toronto starter Kevin Gausman countered Yamamoto pitch for pitch for much of the game, setting down 17 straight batters at one point. But two errors, a wild fastball to Will Smith and another to Max Muncy, proved to be the difference.

The Dodgers' win wasn't merely about squaring the series. If you think that it's all about luck, it's not. Yamamoto, who came into MLB with immense expectations and a record-breaking deal, is showing that he's worth every penny. With Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman supplying offense, Los Angeles might just have the balance it requires to win another World Series title.

Not many pitchers can excel under pressure and easily adjust in the moment. That's Yamamoto's talent that won't be emulated instantly. If he can do this during his first year, the rest of Major League Baseball should take notice.