Yamamoto follows Snell: Dodgers dominate and move closer to the World Series

Dodgers’ Domain: Glasnow in the Spotlight

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting pitchers’ performance has demonstrated remarkable supremacy in the first two games of the National League Championship Series. This stellar performance puts Game 3 starter Tyler Glasnow in a complicated situation. After Blake Snell shined with eight impressive innings in Game 1, Yoshinobu Yamamoto surpassed that performance in Game 2. Yamamoto pitched a complete game, the first in the postseason in eight years, propelling the Dodgers to a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. This gives the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the series. The key question is: How can Glasnow match or surpass this? The Los Angeles starters are making it look easy, leading the Dodgers on their path to potentially becoming the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees.

“It’s been incredible. Probably the two best consecutive games pitched that I’ve seen. I’m glad they’re on our side,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who has had the best perspective of the rotation’s performance, commented.

Will Smith, Dodgers Catcher

Yamamoto, after a difficult start in Milwaukee in July, responded with a masterful game. Despite allowing an opening home run, he remained firm, allowing only two more hits and achieving the first postseason complete game for the Dodgers since 2004. The last complete postseason game was by Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander in 2017. Yamamoto’s performance comes after Snell silenced the Brewers for eight innings in Game 1, meaning the Dodgers’ bullpen has had little activity in the series. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts trusts his starting pitchers. Brewers relievers, on the other hand, have accumulated more than 11 innings in the series. The Dodgers’ rotation has shown an effectiveness of 1.38 in eight postseason games, with seven wins. Against the Brewers, that figure is a minuscule 0.53. Milwaukee’s young and athletic team has seemed powerless against this dominance.

“Those pitchers were as dominant as two pitchers have been,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “They chased a lot more than we’ve chased all year. We’ve been the best in baseball at not chasing. These pitchers brought out the worst in us.”

Pat Murphy, Brewers Manager

In an era where frequent pitcher changes are common, the Dodgers are going back in time. Consecutive starts of eight or more innings are the first in the playoffs since 2010, when the San Francisco Giants won the World Series. The Dodgers’ offense has done enough in the first two games, with home runs from Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández in Game 2, which were enough to support a streaking Yamamoto.

By winning the first two away games, the Dodgers are well-positioned to return to the World Series. Only three of the 28 teams that have lost the first two home games in a best-of-seven series have managed to come back to win.

The story is almost as disheartening for the Brewers as the Dodgers’ pitching is. The bad news for Milwaukee is that it won’t get any easier at Dodger Stadium. Glasnow, the Game 3 starter, has pitched 7 and two-thirds innings without allowing a run during the Dodgers’ postseason. In Game 4, Shohei Ohtani could start, who had a quality start and struck out nine in his first playoff start against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers surprised many by having the best regular season record and obtaining the first place in the playoffs. However, they have encountered a Dodgers team that seems ready to win another championship.

“Our entire team is playing the best baseball we’ve played all year. The focus is at its highest. We are in the best moment,” Roberts said.

Dave Roberts, Dodgers Manager