Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider has adjustments to think about after the Game 2 loss. But even he couldn't stop thinking about Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominating in his complete game for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yamamoto fanned eight batters and hit a mark not seen since 2001. Meanwhile, fans of the Blue Jays were left in shambles following his performance.
The skipper of the American League champs, though, raved about how Yamamoto performed.
“It's hard to do, you know what I mean?” Schneider said regarding completing all nine innings on the mound. “I get why Doc (Dave Roberts of the Dodgers) let him go — he was that good. You have to appreciate a complete game.”
How Yoshinobu Yamamoto kept Blue Jays in check
The right-hander switched from fastballs, curves and splitters early on.
He then left two Blue Jays runners stranded on base — striking out two (Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Daulton Varsho) and grounding out Alejandro Kirk. George Springer and Nathan Lukes couldn't move out of third and first base, respectively, because of the three straight outs.
Addison Barger surfaces as the next to strike out facing Yamamoto — missing on a 97 mph fastball.
Kirk delivered the only points for the home team inside Rogers Centre — hitting a sacrifice fly ball to center field that drove Springer home. Yamamoto forced nine total ground outs after that sequence through the bottom of the seventh inning.
Yamamoto joined former San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgardner (2014) in delivering two complete games during a postseason. Even Schneider had to tip his cap to the Dodgers' ace, as he now aims to shed the Game 2 loss.
