Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and catcher Will Smith were the stars of the night as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1. This win ties the World Series at 1-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Yamamoto was impressive, throwing only 105 pitches to complete his second game of the postseason. Smith helped with the offense, driving in three runs and leading the team’s scoring efforts. Unlike the high-scoring opener, this game turned into a true pitching battle at Toronto’s Rogers Centre.
The Dodgers struck first. In the top of the first inning, Smith sent Freddie Freeman home for the lead. After that, Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman took control. He retired 17 straight Dodgers batters without letting anyone on base.
The Blue Jays fought back in the third inning when Alejandro Kirk’s sacrifice fly brought George Springer across home plate, tying the game. But the deadlock did not last long. In the top of the seventh, both Smith and Max Muncy hit solo home runs, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.
The Blue Jays struggled in the eighth inning. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch allowed a run to score. Smith then added another RBI, solidifying their 5-1 lead. Yamamoto’s excellent performance meant the Dodgers’ bullpen could rest, as he pitched all nine innings without any issues.
As the teams prepare to switch to Los Angeles for the next three games, the anticipation builds for game three at Dodger Stadium on Monday night.
Recent stats show the Dodgers have not made it to the World Series this often without good pitching. In fact, expert analysis suggests strong pitching is key in postseason games. Research from MLB’s findings also highlights that over 70% of winning teams in the playoffs were those with the better pitching staff.
In addition, social media reactions during the game showcased fans’ excitement for playoff baseball, with hashtags like #WorldSeries buzzing on platforms.
With the Dodgers now gaining momentum, it’ll be interesting to see how they perform at home.
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