Yoshinobu Yamamoto Dazzles, Saves Dodgers' Bullpen in His World Series Debut

The right-hander, who signed a record contract as a free agent last winter, dominated the Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series to take some strain off the Los Angeles bullpen.

Yamamoto allowed just one hit and pitched into the seventh inning during the Dodgers' 4–2 win over the Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave his team a gift on Saturday. He carried a one-hit game into the seventh inning of a World Series outing against the New York Yankees. And while the opening part of that sentence was nice—of course—it was the clause that followed that might ultimately prove to be the most important. This was one of the best games that Yamamoto has pitched in his first year in MLB. But its greatest value may come from its length.

The Dodgers are in an enviable position. They now sit up 2–0 in the World Series over the Yankees after Saturday’s 4–2 win. But there are still pockets of this roster worthy of concern. This rotation could generously be described as threadbare: The only place to look for a full starting five around here is on the injured list. Los Angeles has navigated the playoffs thus far with just three starting pitchers, two of whom missed significant time with injuries this year themselves, making it difficult to rely on them for any serious length. The Dodgers’ top relievers have admirably carried the resulting load, including navigating bullpen games in every round, even in critical situations. But that weight accumulates. Yet they collectively got a critical opportunity for breathing room with Yamamoto’s outing Sunday.

It was just the second time in 13 playoff games this year that a Dodgers starter pitched into the seventh. 

“Obviously, the bullpen is going to be leaned on a lot during this series,” said Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech, who pitched the eighth inning on Saturday. “And for him to give us some length and not only be able to pitch well, but dominate, that’s huge.” 

This was the most important start that Yamamoto has made for the Dodgers, and it was one of his best, too. In 6 1/3 innings, he allowed just one hit and two walks and struck out four. Yamamoto managed to look his best as he settled in and the night wore on: He retired the last 11 batters he saw. It was a performance made all the more impressive by the fact that it had been more than four months since he worked so deep into a game. 

A strained rotator cuff kept Yamamoto out for much of this summer. Entering Saturday, he had not thrown more than 79 pitches in any game since he returned to the mound in mid-September, and he had not pitched beyond the fifth inning. While the Dodgers have won in all four of his outings this postseason, his performance had been somewhat uneven, with a notably rough first career playoff start in the National League Division Series. Yet he cruised through the middle innings of his first World Series game with such ease that Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts had no doubts about letting him go past 80 pitches to get to the seventh inning.

“Watching how he was throwing the baseball,” the manager said, “there wasn't much stress in the game.”

Yamamoto gets congratulated by catcher Will Smith and third baseman Max Muncy after exiting his Game 2 start against the Yankees. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Asked what he thought had played up the best for him, Yamamoto gave a straightforward answer: “Everything was working well today,” he said through an interpreter. Which was similar to the answer given by Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “I thought his fastball was good, slowing us down with a little curveball, and then the slider and the split, of course,” he said. In other words? Everything. It was a showcase of what the diminutive righty can be at his best.

This particular stage may not be familiar to Yamamoto. But he’s delivered in championship series before. Nearly a year ago, in his final professional game in Nippon Professional Baseball, he took the mound for Game 6 of the Japan Series. He stepped up with one of the most dazzling performances of his decorated career: Yamamoto threw a complete game on 138 pitches and set a record with 14 strikeouts. Six weeks later, he’d signed his 12-year, $325-million contract with the Dodgers, hoping to deliver a similar performance one day in a World Series.

“He was made for those moments,” said Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández. “He was doing it in Japan before he got here, and as soon as he got here, he was doing it here. We trust in him.”

That has paid off. Los Angeles’s bullpen is trying to manage both its workload and its exposure to the New York lineup. Yamamoto got them a break on both fronts on Saturday. 

“It really took a lot of stress off the bullpen,” said Dodgers reliever Anthony Banda. “What he did here was huge.”