The Los Angeles Dodgers continued to slug their way through the playoffs on Saturday, storming to a 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the World Series on the back of three home runs and a stellar performance on the mound from Yoshinobu Yamamoto in their 4-2 win.
The scoring started in the bottom of the second inning when Tommy Edman slapped a solo shot to left field off of Yankees starter Carlos Rodón, for his second homer in the playoffs.
Despite a quick response from New York, when star outfielder Juan Soto made Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto pay for leaving a fast ball on the inner half of the plate with his massive homer to right field, the Boys in Blue answered right back, tacking on three more runs in the bottom of the third inning thanks to back-to-back homers from Teoscar Hernández and Game 1 star Freddie Freeman.
The additional run support pushed the Dodgers to a 4-1 lead, which is all Yamamoto needed on Saturday.
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The rookie sensation, who signed a monster contract with the Dodgers prior to the season, tossed 6 and 1/3 innings of one-hit baseball against the Yankees while striking out four batters and walking two. He walked off the field to a standing ovation from the Dodger faithful after wowing in his first ever World Series start.
Fellow Japanese star Shohei Ohtani was quiet in Game 2, going 0-for-3 with one walk and one strikeout. After he was caught stealing at the end of the seventh inning he walked off the field help of a trainer who was holding his left arm. His injury status was unclear as the game ended.
Things got shaky for the Dodgers in the top of the ninth after reliever Blake Treinen allowed a run to score when Giancarlo Stanton ripped a single that ricocheted off of third base and into left field. He then loaded the bases before being pulled by manager Dave Roberts, who called Alex Vesia in from the bullpen. He was able to get Yankees’ pinch hitter Jose Trevino to fly out and end the game.
Now with a dominant 2-0 lead and just two more wins needed, the Dodgers will head to the Bronx for the next round of the World Series. Game 3 is scheduled for Monday at 5:08 p.m. Walker Buehler will get the start for Los Angeles against the Yankees’ Clarke Schmidt. The next three games will be played in New York (Game 5 if necessary), before potentially returning to Dodger Stadium.
The Boys in Blue will look to continue limiting Yankees’ star Aaron Judge, who is currently stuck in one of the worst slumps of his career. So far in October he’s hitting just .150 with two home runs. In the World Series he’s 1-for-9 with six strikeouts.
