Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is injured sliding to second base during the seventh inning in Game 2 of baseball’s World Series against the New York Yankees, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Ashley Landis / AP / AP
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Ashley Landis / AP / AP
LOS ANGELES — Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked back to the dugout and tipped at least a little off the cover to cheer the fans. He left Japan for a time like this, an opportunity to control the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
But the Dodgers will go to New York not sure if Shohei Ohtani can play after the biggest star partially dislocated his left shoulder in a slide in another base.
“We’ll get some tests tonight, tomorrow, and we’ll know more in the next few days,” manager Dave Roberts said. “His power is great. Good range of motion. So we are encouraged.
Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández were also starters for Carlos Rodón, who tied a Yankees World Series record by allowing three home runs.
New York was held to one hit before the ninth, when the Yankees closed to 4-2 on Giancarlo Stanton’s one-out RBI single against Blake Treinen. Anthony Volpe struck out with the bases loaded, and Alex Vesia came in to retire pinch hitter Jose Trevino in the first flyout for his first postseason save.
“Thinking back to my front yard, that’s what we would imagine,” Vesia said.
Game 3 is Saturday night at Yankee Stadium. Forty-five of the 56 teams that held a 2-0 World Series lead went on to win the title.
“No one said it was going to be easy,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s a long streak, and we’ve got to make it a long streak now. We’re not going to panic.”
Yankees star Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. He was 1 for 9 in the Series and hit .150 with six RBIs and 19 strikeouts in 40 postseason at-bats.
“Just expanding the zone. That’s really what it’s all about,” Hakim said. “I think it’s trying to make things happen instead of letting the game come to you. … Plain and simple, I need to start swinging on strike.
Yamamoto turned down the Yankees last December and joined the Dodgers for $325 million, a 12-year contract, a record for pitchers, teaming with Ohtani to create record interest in Major League Baseball back in Japan.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws against the New York Yankees during the first inning of Game 2 of baseball’s World Series, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Los Angeles.
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The rookie right-hander threw seven scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium on June 7, but was sidelined from June 15 to Sept. 10 with a strained rotator cuff. It was his best start since the injury.
Yamamoto gave up a three-run homer to Juan Soto, then retired the final 11 batters.
“He was made for that moment,” Hernández said. “They did it in Japan before they got here, and after they got here, they did it here.”
Yamamoto struck out four and walked two with a five-pitch lineup that included curveballs, splitters, sliders and cutters. He improved to 2-0 in four postseason starts.
“It’s kind of a mixed feeling because I was very (much) looking forward to it and happy, but then after I felt that I started to try to focus,” Yamamoto said through a translator.
Soto’s fourth postseason homer, on an inside fastball, was the only one Yamamoto had allowed in two starts and 13 1/3 innings against the Yankees this year.
Soto also scored off the right-field wall in the ninth and scored on a single-out Stanton hit to the third-base bag. Jazz Chisholm Jr. single and Anthony Rizzo was hit for the second time in the game, loading the bases.
But the rally ended there.
“This is everything for me, playing at the highest level with literally the two biggest teams you can play for, the biggest franchise, the most history,” said Vesia.
A night after Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in Series history to turn a 3-2 deficit with two outs in the 10th inning into a 6-3 win, Edman put the Dodgers ahead with a solo shot in the second.
After Soto tied the score, Mookie Betts singled with two outs in the bottom half and Hernández, on a 3-for-27 slide, homered into the right-center fielder. Freeman, who previously had not gone deep since September 16, worked a full count and homered to right-center again.
Playing on a sprained right ankle, Freeman has homered in four straight Series games from Atlanta’s last two games against Houston in 2021. This is one of the records held by Astros outfielder George Springer.
Freeman is six days into the World Series.
“I was able to calm my ankle,” he said. “Hopefully with the flight tonight – I was really swollen on the flight – so, hopefully tomorrow we can get down there and get a good spot for Game 3.”
All three Dodgers homers came on fastballs from Rodón, whose 31 longballs allowed during the regular season tied for second in the major league. Los Angeles has back-to-back Series homers for the second time, after Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager connected on Yankees lefty Ron Guidry to win 2-1 in Game 5 in 1981.
Rodón gave up four runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings. He got just one swing and missed the fastball.
Los Angeles took a 2-0 Series lead for the first time since 1988, when Kirk Gibson’s walk-off homer against Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley won the opener and Orel Hershiser followed with a three-hit shutout. The Yankees are 0-2 for the first time since 2001, when they rebounded to win three straight at home and lost Games 6 and 7 in Arizona.
Ohtani’s MRI and determination of his availability will be eagerly awaited by the Dodgers and their fans.
“Not only the dugout, but the whole stadium was silent,” Hernández said. “Hopefully he’s fine and tomorrow will help him get back on the field on Monday.”
