The Los Angeles Dodgers' starting rotation is on fire this postseason. Game 1 of the NLCS saw Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell torch the Milwaukee Brewers to the tune of 10 strikeouts and just one run allowed. In Game 2, Milwaukee was tortured by another star pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Getting called for the start in Game 2, Yamamoto delivered for the Dodgers and then some. The Japanese pitcher had the first complete game in the postseason since 2017, pitching the entire game and allowing just one run. It was an impressive performance from Yamamoto, who struggled mightily in his previous start.
What's equally impressive, though, is the trust Dave Roberts had in Yamamoto. After his terrible performance in the previous start, benching Yamamoto could have been a viable option for the Dodgers. Instead, Roberts rode Yamamoto's hot hand, and he paid off his trust in kind.
After the game, Yamamoto thanked the Dodgers manager for putting his trust in him.
“As a player, I’m really glad [Roberts] and the people trust me out there,” Yamamoto said, per Bob Nightengale. “I thought that was great.”
Brewers fans probably felt a little safer with Yamamoto pitching, especially after Jackson Chourio smashed the first pitch of the game for a home run. However, the Dodgers pitcher quickly locked back in after that home run. He'd just allowed two more hits after that, walking one, and striking out seven batters. Yamamoto would not allow any more runs as well, finishing the game with 111 pitches.
Yamamoto did his best work in inducing weak contact from the Brewers' hitters. He drew 16 ground balls, most of which were picked up nicely by the Dodgers, save for a few errors. With how terrible the Dodgers' bullpen has been this postseason, being able to pitch a complete game was a godsend for Los Angeles.
The series now flips over to Los Angeles, where the Dodgers will carry a 2-0 lead home. Can the defending champions maintain their pace at home.
