Los Angeles starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a complete game for the second consecutive year this postseason in Game 2 of the World Series.
The All-Star pitched nine innings with one run, struck out eight batters, and got through the game throwing just 105 pitches. However, the starting game didn’t get off to the best of starts, and Yamamoto seemed destined for an early exit. He threw 23 pitches in the first inning and reached 46 by the end of the third inning.
“Honestly, I didn’t think I would be able to pitch a complete game because the number of pitches increased so quickly.However, I am very happy that I was able to pitch a complete game,” Yamamoto said. “…I’m very happy and proud that I was able to make a big contribution and give the team a chance to win.”
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Manager Dave Roberts felt the same way based on the number of pitches Yamamoto pitched early on, and believed he would appear around the sixth inning.
“After the first inning, I was thinking about the sixth inning,” Roberts said. “I felt like he would find a way to get through six pitches. It’s an aggressive swing team. I thought the material was good, so I felt like we could somehow get through six pitches. After that, the pitch count stayed where it needed to be. And to me, nothing seemed to be dropping in terms of his pitching and performance.”
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Yamamoto retired the last 20 batters he faced during the game, leading the to a pivotal Game 2 victory that tied the series before returning to Los Angeles.
The will play their next three games at Stadium and will look to take their first lead in the series with Tyler Glasnow starting in Game 3 on Monday, October 26th at 5:00 PM PT.
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
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