The Los Angeles Dodgers returned to baffling opponents with brilliant pitching in Game 2 of the World Series. Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw his second straight complete game of the postseason on Saturday, helping the Dodgers tie the series.
Yamamoto’s outstanding performance overshadowed a strong start from Kevin Gausman. The Toronto Blue Jays ace managed to match Yamamoto frame for frame through six innings, turning Game 2 into a true pitchers’ duel.
The Dodgers finally broke through in the seventh inning with solo home runs by Will Smith and Max Muncy. LA’s 3-1 lead proved to be more than enough for a dialed-in Yamamoto, who closed out the game brilliantly.
However, some Blue Jays fans questioned manager John Schneider’s decision to leave Gausman in the game to face the Dodgers’ lineup for the third time, especially after Smith’s 404-foot homer.
“We try to really take that into consideration. Got Shohei [for the third time in the sixth inning],” Schneider explained, according to TSN. “I think at that point it’s just game state. So I trusted Kev to get out of that. Even though it’s his third time. You kinda watch what he’s doing.”
Gausman started the seventh inning by retiring Freddie Freeman. He then faced Will Smith, who worked the count to full before Gausman threw six straight fastballs. Smith clobbered the final four-seamer into the second deck in left field, giving Los Angeles a 2-1 lead.
At this point, Gausman had thrown 72 pitches. Schneider chose to keep the two-time All-Star in the game, and Gausman struck out Teoscar Hernandez swinging. But he wouldn’t escape the inning unscathed, as Max Muncy belted another fastball deep to left field, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.
Louis Varland relieved Gausman and retired Kike Hernandez to end the seventh inning. Although Varland ran into some trouble the following inning as LA extended its lead further to 5-1, Schneider’s decision to leave Gausman in against Muncy did not ultimately change the outcome.
Yamamoto only needed a one-run lead as he mowed down 20 straight Blue Jays to close out his complete game. Meanwhile, Gausman had found a groove earlier in Game 2. After Smith’s RBI single in the first inning, the 34-year-old starter retired 17 consecutive Dodgers before Smith’s seventh-inning home run ended the streak.
Yamamoto and Gausman made history as the first starters to retire 17+ straight batters in a postseason game, highlighting the exceptional pitching duel that defined Game 2 of the World Series.
https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-john-schneider-kevin-gausman-game-2-will-smith-home-run
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