Blue Jays have no answer for Dodgers pitching in Game 2 loss

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Before signing the biggest and most important contract of his career, Kevin Gausman did his research.

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The Blue Jays ace wanted a contender and wanted it badly.

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On Saturday night at Rogers Center, Gausman got that opportunity and took the World Series stage, giving it his all in what turned out to be a heartbreaking 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After being eliminated 17 times in a row and seemingly getting stronger almost to the field, Gausman hesitated just enough to blink twice in the seventh to miss the triumph.

Will Smith's home run gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead, and two batters later Max Muncy hit his own solo shot—both high over the wall in left field—to give the visitors all the runs they needed.

The resounding result for a sold-out crowd of 44,607 evened the best-of-seven series with a win apiece as it moves to Los Angeles for the next three games, starting Monday.

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It was a shame indeed for Gausman, because a beautiful boxing performance that included two lethal blows was made even more devastating given the tense submission duel that was unfolding.

However, the deeper the game went, the more obvious it became that it might not matter, given that Gausman's dominance actually paled in comparison to Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is now in the midst of an incredible postseason run.

The Japanese right-hander not only threw his second straight complete game this postseason, but also retired the last 20 Jays batters he faced.

Our takeaways from another busy World Series night in Toronto.

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WHY DOES THIS MEAN SO MUCH TO GAUSMANN?

Gausman made it clear what he thought of the organization when he signed with them ahead of the 2022 season. He saw the potential and opportunity to reach the World Series for the first time in his career.

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“I mean, that’s really the reason I came here,” Gausman said this week. “Looking at the roster after the 2021 season, I thought they had the best offense in baseball, and that definitely encouraged me as a pitcher.

“I liked a lot of things, and that’s why I came here.”

It hasn't always been easy for Gausman, who struggled through the playoffs and struggled last year with a last-place finish.

“The first couple of years were hard and heartbreaking,” Gausman said. “It was tough going back to back years in the Wildcard. Last year was even tougher because it seemed like we were a really good team and we all just got punched in the face.”

However, they rose again and, by splitting the first two at home, at least showed the Dodgers that they would put up a fight.

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HOW TO PITCHING DUEL

This is where life gets extremely difficult for the Jays, and they face a tough challenge over the next three games in Los Angeles.

Considering the Dodgers are essentially handing out four aces against the Jays to try to win the title, they will always need an effort like Gausman's.

But as good as Gausman was, Yamamoto was even better, and his sensational run continues.

After pitching a complete game in his previous start, an NLCS win over the Brewers, Yamamoto showed skill. How good was he? Mixing and matching his sequences, he kept Jay's batters confused and was still going strong when he struck out the side in the eighth.

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This brought the Jace's total to 17 consecutive strikeouts, and with the score at 5–1, the game was all but over.

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The energy among the packed room began to fade towards the end of this stretch of Jay's unsuccessful strike.

Gausman's only blemish in the first six was a pair of two-out hits in the first and an RBI single from Smith in the second.

However, his dominance continued until Dodger's fatal bombs occurred in the seventh round. Gausman became disillusioned after Muncie's shooting, clearly aware of the consequences.

Jeff Hoffman's wild pitch with the bases loaded in the next inning gave the Dodgers more insurance, but with Yamamoto going the distance, they hardly needed it.

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HOW DID THE DODGERS KEEP JACE BUTTS QUIET?

Since there are always better teams these days, they had a plan. And Yamamoto obviously pulled it off to perfection.

Scouting the Dodgers ahead of the series would have revealed the danger the Jays pose in their lineup. An 11-4 loss in Friday's first game would confirm that.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged as much before Saturday's Game 2.

“It’s cat and mouse,” Roberts said. “They're an aggressive offensive team, definitely early in the count. So if you can… that's the reward for taking risks – being able to get quick outs instead of potentially taking damage early in the count.”

“I know these guys are going to be aggressive from the start. That's just the way they are.”

They were no match for Yamamoto, who filled the zone and kept Jay's hitters from getting any more hits. As a result, he served just as hard at the end of his stellar performance as he had at the start.

NEXT

After a weekend of traveling across the continent, we're guaranteed three games in Southern California, starting Monday at famed Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers' next trump card is Tyler Glasnow, who will face wily (and intense) Jays veteran Max Scherzer.

The following night in Game 4, Shohei Ohtani will follow up with a 10-strikeout performance against the Brewers and face Jays trade deadline acquisition Shane Bieber.

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