Yoshinobu Yamamoto put together one of the greatest performances ever seen in a World Series to help the Los Angeles Dodgers repeat as champions.
Yamamoto went the distance in Game 2 and then earned the win in two consecutive elimination matchups on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays. He tossed 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in winner-take-all Game 7 just one day after getting through six.
Yamamoto posted a 1.02 ERA and 0.68 WHIP with 15 strikeouts against two walks in 17.2 innings across his three appearances en route to winning World Series MVP honors.
During an appearance on “The Sedano & Kap Morning Show,” Tommy Edman praised Yamamoto for going above and beyond to help the Dodgers get past the finish line:
“I’ve never seen anybody do that. I was just thinking, ‘Man, his arm has got to hurt so bad right now.’ But it’s Game 7 of the World Series, and you do whatever it takes. For him to be willing to do that speaks volumes about the kind of teammate he is, the kind of guy that he is. He was going to do whatever it takes for us to win another World Series.
“He pitched back-to-back, but he was dominant again. He was still throwing 97, 98 (mph), with that nasty splitter and commanding it as well. I know a lot of guys talk about when their arm is tired, it’s the command that goes first. He was just dotting everything. You can’t say enough about his performance. There’s a reason he won the MVP.”
Yamamoto’s efforts were nothing short of heroic and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts compared them to those of Walker Buehler against the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series.
“Yeah, similarities,” Roberts said. “Walker is obviously in Dodger lore, and Yoshi put himself right there with him, you know, throwing 100 pitches and come back without a day off and going three innings. It’s pretty crazy.
“I’m kind of crazy for sending him back out there. But I just felt he was the best option. And, again, it’s something that I just never imagined, but you got to trust players, and I believed in him, we all believed in him.
“Again, I’m having a hard time unpacking it. Just what a great series, what a great game, and I think we’re going to be talking about this game for a long time.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto made World Series history
Yamamoto became the first pitcher in World Series history to win three games on the road, as well as the first pitcher to earn the win in Games 6 and 7 on the road.
Yamamoto also became the first pitcher in MLB history to allow no more than five hits, one run and one walk with at least five strikeouts while earning the win in three consecutive postseason starts.
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