The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading back to Chavez Ravine with a 2-0 lead versus the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, and they have two men largely to thank for it. One night after Blake Snell allowed just one hit and struck out 10 batters in eight masterful innings, Yoshinobu Yamamoto went the distance in a 5-1 win in Tuesday's Game 2.
After giving up a lead-off home run to Jackson Chourio, the All-Star right-hander stifled the Brewers offense. He allowed just three total hits and recorded seven Ks with one walk in the first complete game of his MLB career. Amid constant cries for old-school aces, Snell and Yamamoto have transported the baseball world back to the workhorse era.
Following their playoff dominance, the Dodgers are the first team since the 2016 San Francisco Giants to register consecutive starts of eight-plus innings, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs. This is the first time the feat has been achieved in the same series since October heroes Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum did so during the Giants' 2010 World Series run. LA is bringing starting pitching back!
The Dodgers' dream rotation is living up to the hype
The Brewers earned home-field advantage after amassing an MLB-best 97-65 record in the regular season and boast one of the most disciplined lineups in the sport today, so the Dodgers' star-studded rotation needed to be sharp. Their first two hurlers smashed expectations and have beautifully positioned their team for a second straight trip to the Fall Classic.
Besides helping LA sweep the Brew Crew in American Family Field, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed manager Dave Roberts to keep his bullpen relatively fresh. Should Milwaukee ignite versus Tyler Glasnow or Shohei Ohtani, the defending champions will now have the chance to engage in a war of attrition if necessary.
The relief unit is still a weakness for this team, as Game 1 illustrated, but the supremely talented Dodgers should be able to get by if their starters remain excellent. This franchise is finding a new way to reaffirm its status as the best squad in the NL. Glasnow will try to keep the historic stretch going when Game 3 commences on Thursday.
