Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a rare four hits, returning the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series.
Published October 26, 2025
Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto flipped the script on the World Series in favor of the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 in Game 2 on Saturday and will be heading home for a third consecutive game.
Yamamoto pitched brilliantly, striking out eight batters and pitching no walks, while Will Smith scored three runs, including a solo home run in the seventh inning that put the Dodgers ahead for good.
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“Yeah, he just got locked in tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Yamamoto. “That was one of the things he said before the series: Losing is not an option, and that’s what he looked like tonight.”
The victory gave them a 1-1 lead in the seven-game series and put the star-studded Dodgers back on track for their first consecutive Major League Baseball (MLB) championship in 25 years.
confused batter
A day after a humiliating 11-4 loss that may have exposed the thinness of the Dodgers’ bullpen and creeped doubt into the clubhouse, the team put the ball in the hands of its ace in hopes that he would turn things around.
Yamamoto, making his first start since pitching a complete game in the National League Championship Series, once again baffled Blue Jays batters a day after he appeared to be hitting pitches at will.
“Going into the game, in the bullpen before the game, the feel of the splitter was really good,” Yamamoto said of his favorite pitch.
“I am very happy and proud that I was able to make a big contribution and give the team a chance to win.”
fast start
The Dodgers got off to a quick start in the first inning, with Freddie Freeman hitting a double and Smith hitting a single to put the visiting team ahead 1-0.
Toronto threatened to put out runners on first and third base with no outs in the bottom of the inning, but Yamamoto got out of trouble by retiring the following three batters.
Yamamoto was so dominant that he retired the last 20 batters he faced that night, and began a remarkable run when he got Alejandro Kirk out with a sacrifice fly and scored George Springer in the third inning.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of Yamamoto’s performance, “He made it difficult for us to work him.” “He was in the zone, he was playing splits in and out of the zone. It was a really great performance from him.”
“Pitcher’s Battle”
The Dodgers, who were also struggling with Toronto’s starting pitcher Kevin Guzman, broke through in the seventh inning when Smith hit a home run into the second deck of the left field seats, followed by Max Muncy’s solo hit to two batters.
Los Angeles added two more runs in the eighth inning on a wild pitch, with Smith grounding out on a fielder’s choice, scoring Shohei Ohtani.
Gausman, who had stopped 17 Dodgers batters in a row before Smith’s home run, suffered the loss in 6 2/3 innings, striking out six batters and giving up three runs.
“I really thought Kev was a pitch-for-pitch match with (Yamamoto),” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “We both had a low pitch count. It was like a typical pitcher’s game. We took a few more swings.”
Game 3 is on Monday.
