Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a complete-game gem Tuesday night, leading a 5-1 victory over the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLCS at American Family Field.<\/b>
\nBrewers manager Pat Murphy might have nailed it before the series in proclaiming his team a decided underdog in this NLCS.
It\u2019s not that Goliath \u2014 the defending World Series champions \u2014 is crushing the ball to all quarters, but the depth and dominance of the Dodgers rotation offers a brutal resistance.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a complete-game gem Tuesday night, leading a 5-1 victory over the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLCS at American Family Field, and yet it was only the second-best Dodgers pitching performance of this NLCS.
Yamamoto\u2019s masterpiece (one earned run allowed on three hits over nine innings with seven strikeouts and one walk) followed Blake Snell\u2019s brilliance a night earlier, when the left-hander faced the minimum 24 batters over eight frames and struck out 10.
\u201cWe\u2019ve been the best in baseball at not chasing [pitches],\u201d Murphy said. \u201cThese pitchers brought out the worst in us.\u201d
Yamamoto\u2019s complete game was the first in the postseason since Justin Verlander went nine innings for the Astros in Game 2 of the 2017 ALCS.
\u201cI established my rhythm and then I dictated the tempo based off of the game,\u201d Yamamoto said through an interpreter.
The Dodgers shelled out $507 million in guaranteed money for the two aces and are receiving their money\u2019s worth to the last cent. Yamamoto, who before the 2024 season signed the largest free agent contract ever for a pitcher \u2014 $325 million over 12 years \u2014 has a 1.83 ERA in three starts this postseason.
\u201cI see a real confidence,\u201d Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
The series, with the Dodgers ahead 2-0, will resume with Thursday\u2019s Game 3 in Los Angeles. The Dodgers will send Tyler Glasnow to the mound and the Brewers will likely counter with ace Jacob Misiorowski, who last pitched on Saturday in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Cubs.
If the Dodgers don\u2019t possess a large enough advantage in returning home, they also have a rested bullpen that was needed for only one inning total in the first two games of this series.
Jackson Chourio\u2019s blast on Yamamoto\u2019s first pitch of the game gave the Brewers their first lead in the series. Chourio\u2019s leadoff homer was the second of his career in the postseason \u2014 he delivered one last year against the Mets in Game 2 of the NL wild-card series.
\u201cI feel regrettable about that home run,\u201d Yamamoto said. \u201cBut I reset my mind and then I just focused on executing my own pitches.\u201d
Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez\u2019s homer in the second inning produced the first Dodgers run. It was the fourth homer this postseason for Hern\u00e1ndez, who was among the players that shined offensively during the team\u2019s World Series title run last year.
Before the inning was complete, Andy Pages stroked an RBI double that gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
Max Muncy, who missed a grand slam by inches the previous night \u2014 the ball hit the center field fence after Sal Frelick\u2019s glove and turned into an inning-ending double play due to baserunning miscues \u2014 got the extra length he needed in the sixth.
His shot to center just eluded Frelick\u2019s leap for a solo homer against Freddy Peralta that extended the Dodgers lead to 3-1.
Peralta pitched 5 \u00b2\/\u2083 innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk. He was removed at 97 pitches.
Shohei Ohtani, who entered the day batting only .138 this postseason, delivered an RBI single in the seventh that gave the Dodgers a three-run cushion. Enrique Hern\u00e1ndez\u2019s double began the rally.
Tommy Edman\u2019s RBI single in the eighth gave the Dodgers a 5-1 lead.<\/p>\n