Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday walked back to his dugout and made the slightest tip of his cap to cheering fans. He left Japan for moments like this, an opportunity to put the Los Angeles Dodgers in control of the World Series.
Yamamoto allowed one hit over 6-1/3 innings and Freddie Freeman homered for the second straight night as Los Angeles beat the New York Yankees 4-2 for a 2-0 Series lead.
However, the Dodgers head to New York uncertain whether Shohei Ohtani can play after their biggest star partially dislocated his left shoulder on a slide at second base.
Photo: AFP
“We’re going to get some tests at some point tonight, tomorrow, and then we’ll know more in the next couple days,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The strength was great. The range of motion good. So we’re encouraged.”
Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez also went deep off starter Carlos Rodon, who tied a Yankees World Series record by allowing three home runs.
New York was held to one hit before the ninth, when the Yankees closed to 4-2 on Giancarlo Stanton’s one-out RBI single against Blake Treinen. Anthony Volpe struck out with the bases loaded, and Alex Vesia came in to retire pinch-hitter Jose Trevino on a first-pitch flyout for his first post-season save.
Photo: AFP
“Thinking back to my front yard at my house, that’s what we would envision,” Vesia said.
Forty-five of 56 teams holding 2-0 World Series leads have gone on to win the title.
“No one said it’s going to be easy,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s a long series, and we need to make it a long series now. We won’t flinch.”
Photo: AFP
Yankees star Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. He is 1 for 9 in the Series and is hitting .150 with six RBIs and 19 strikeouts in 40 post-season at-bats.
Yamamoto turned down the Yankees in December last year and joined the Dodgers for a US$325 million, 12-year contract, a record for pitchers, teaming with Ohtani to create record interest in the MLB back in Japan.
The rookie right-hander threw seven scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium on June 7, but was sidelined from June 15 to Sept. 10 because of a strained rotator cuff. This was his finest start since the injury.
Yamamoto gave up Juan Soto’s third-inning homer, then retired his last 11 batters.
“He was made for those moments,” Hernandez said. “He was doing it in Japan before he got here, and as soon as he got here, he was doing it here.”
Ohtani was set to undergo magnetic resonance imaging to determine the extent of his injury.
Ohtani clutched his left forearm after being tagged by shortstop Anthony Volpe for the final out in the seventh inning on a feetfirst slide. He laid near the bag for a couple minutes before being tended to by trainers and leaving the field.
The Japanese slugger — and presumptive National League Most Valuable Player — missed the 2017 World Baseball Classic after having ankle surgery because of an injury sustained during the 2016 Japan Series.
“When you have a group like this, they picked me up when I have been down. We’ll try to do the same for him,” Freeman said.
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