Yoshinobu Yamamoto Makes World Series History with Complete Game Masterpiece
In a breathtaking display of pitching prowess, Yoshinobu Yamamoto etched his name in baseball history during Game 2 of the World Series, throwing a complete game that helped the Los Angeles Dodgers even the series against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1-1. Yamamoto’s masterclass on the mound represented more than just a crucial victory for the Dodgers; it marked the first World Series complete game since Johnny Cueto’s gem for the Kansas City Royals back in 2015. The Japanese sensation’s performance was a throwback to an era when starting pitchers were expected to finish what they started, a rarity in today’s specialized bullpen-heavy approach to postseason baseball.
What makes Yamamoto’s achievement even more remarkable is that he became the first pitcher to throw consecutive postseason complete games since Curt Schilling’s legendary run with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. For the Dodgers specifically, Yamamoto accomplished something no pitcher wearing Dodger blue had done since Orel Hershiser dominated the Oakland Athletics in the 1988 World Series. That 1988 series, of course, is etched in baseball lore for Kirk Gibson’s iconic home run, but Hershiser’s pitching was equally vital to the Dodgers’ championship that year. Now, 36 years later, Yamamoto has brought that same level of excellence to a franchise desperate to add another championship to their storied history.
The historical significance of Yamamoto’s postseason run continues to grow with each start. He now joins an exclusive club of pitchers who have thrown multiple complete games in a single postseason, something not seen since Madison Bumgarner’s otherworldly performance for the San Francisco Giants in 2014. Bumgarner’s 2014 postseason is often regarded as one of the greatest pitching displays in baseball history, and the fact that Yamamoto is drawing comparisons to that legendary run speaks volumes about the level at which he’s currently performing. While Bumgarner’s postseason brilliance culminated in a championship for the Giants, Yamamoto is hoping his similar dominance will lead the Dodgers to the same ultimate prize.
Game 2 was remarkable not just for Yamamoto’s brilliance but also for the pitching duel that unfolded between him and Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman. In a statistical oddity that highlights the exceptional pitching on display, both Yamamoto and Gausman retired at least 17 consecutive batters at one point during the game. According to baseball historians, this marked the first time in postseason history that two pitchers achieved such a feat in the same game. Whereas Blake Snell had struggled against Toronto’s lineup in Game 1, Yamamoto carved through the same hitters with surgical precision, throwing strikes and keeping the Blue Jays off-balance throughout the contest.
The stark contrast between Yamamoto’s efficiency and Snell’s struggles a day earlier underscores the Japanese pitcher’s remarkable command and composure on baseball’s biggest stage. His final line was a masterpiece of pitching efficiency: nine innings pitched, just four hits allowed, one run, eight strikeouts, and zero walks. This performance mirrored Johnny Cueto’s 2015 complete game in many ways, with Cueto having allowed just four hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in his shutout. The difference, of course, being the single run Yamamoto surrendered. Nevertheless, Yamamoto’s performance required minimal pitch count management from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, allowing him to navigate the full nine innings without the bullpen anxiety that has become standard in modern postseason baseball.
As the series shifts to Toronto with momentum now on the Dodgers’ side, Yamamoto’s historic outing has become more than just a statistical achievement—it represents a potential turning point in this World Series. The Blue Jays fans, who had been sending not-so-subtle messages to Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers in Game 1, were silenced by Yamamoto’s dominance in Game 2. Meanwhile, Ohtani himself, when asked about the Drake versus Kendrick Lamar debate amid the World Series intensity, offered a characteristically brief six-word response, keeping his focus squarely on the championship pursuit. With Yamamoto’s historic performance now in the books, the Dodgers have reclaimed control of their destiny in this series, hoping that their Japanese ace’s brilliance will be remembered as the catalyst that propelled them toward their first championship since 2020.
