Los Angeles ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto once again had an impressive performance in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, pitching a complete game to give Los Angeles a 2-0 lead in the series.
read more: Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches a complete game, defeat Brewers, lead NLCS 2-0
However, the right-handed pitcher did not dominate from the start, allowing a 389-foot home run to outfielder Jackson Cholio on the first pitch of the game. After his second pitch, his performance was remarkable.
Yamamoto retired the final 14 Brewers in order en route to a historic performance. In Game 2, he relied primarily on his splitter, throwing his fastball and curveball 27 times each, while the splitter was thrown 34 times.
His fastball averaged 96.3 mph, an increase from the 95.8 mph heater he pitched in just over four innings last time out against the Philadelphia Phillies.
When was the last time a pitcher pitched a complete game in the postseason?
Yamamoto’s nine innings pitched made him the 23rd complete postseason pitcher in franchise history by a pitcher. He became the second to pitch a complete postseason game since Orel Hershiser pitched three in 1988.
The last pitcher to pitch a complete game in the postseason was Jose Lima in Game 3 of the National League in 2004. He pitched nine innings, striking out four and allowing five hits and one walk.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes history in Japan with a perfect match
According to Japanese media, Yamamoto’s complete game was the first Japanese pitcher in MLB history to accomplish this feat.
When was the last time you pitched a complete game in the MLB postseason?
Yamamoto’s complete game is the first in MLB since 2017, when Justin Verlander pitched one against the Houston Astros in Game 2 of the ALCS.
Photo credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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