Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out a four-hitter in his second straight complete game, his first in the World Series since 2015 and the defending champion. Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Saturday night to tie the best-of-seven series at one game each.
After a three-hitter against Milwaukee in the National League Championship Series, which was the first complete postseason game in eight years, Yamamoto retired his final 20 batters. The previous pitcher to go the distance in the Fall Classic was Kansas City's Johnny Cueto against the New York Mets in Game 2 ten years ago.
“I tried to stay calm in the game, but it World Series. So in the beginning I threw with unnecessary tension,” Yamamoto said through a translator. “So I just adjusted it as the game went on.”
Quick Guide
World Series 2025
Show
Schedule
Best of seven series. All times are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4).
Fri 24 Oct Game 1: Toronto Blue Jays 11, Los Angeles Dodgers 4
Sat 25 Oct Game 2: Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Toronto Blue Jays 1
Mon, October 27 Game 3: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 8 p.m.
Tue 28 Oct Game 4: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 8 p.m.
Wed, 29 Oct. Game 5: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 8:00 p.m.*
Fri 31 Oct Game 6: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 8:00 p.m.*
Sat, November 1 Game 7: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 8:00 p.m.*
*if necessary
How to watch
• In the US, all games will be broadcast on FOX. If you have a cable/satellite subscription with FOX included, you can also stream through the FOX Sports app.
• In Canada, English broadcasts are available on Sportsnet and French broadcasts are available on RDS and TVA Sports. Games are also broadcast on Sportsnet+ (in English).
• In the UK the official broadcaster is TNT Sports. Requires a subscription to their service or their app.
• In Australia, the local copyright holder is ESPN Australia and its associated platforms.
No pitcher has thrown back-to-back complete games in the postseason since Arizona ace Curt Schilling, who hit three in a row in the NL Division Series and the 2001 NLCS.
Will Smith had three RBIs for the Dodgers, breaking a tie at 1 with a seventh-inning home run from Kevin Gausman, who had retired 17 straight batters. Max Muncy added another solo homer later in the inning.
It was the first postseason game in which two pitchers retired 17 or more batters in a row, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
A 27-year-old right-hander in his second season in the big leagues, Yamamoto has thrown 105 pitches (73 hits) after throwing 111 pitches against the Brewers on Oct. 14 in Game 2 of the NLCS. He needed 23 pitches to get through the first inning before settling down.
“He just doesn't let anything get to him,” Muncy said. “From what I've seen, nothing bothers him. He always keeps his composure and just thinks about getting his next pitch.”
Yamamoto struck out eight and walked none, improving to 5-1 in two postseasons with the Dodgers, who are 7-1 as starters.
“It was his night. He hit every pitch,” Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said.
Yamamoto became the first Dodgers pitcher to win back-to-back complete games in the postseason since Orel Hershiser in 1988.
“He’s a throwback player,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said.
Using a six-pitch streak, Yamamoto allowed his only run in the third after he hit George Springer near the wrist with a pitch and gave up Guerrero's single off the left field wall. It was the last runner allowed by Yamamoto, who began his streak by striking out Alejandro Kirk on a sacrifice fly.
“The last two games have been fun. He can do everything,” said Smith, the Dodgers' catcher. “Yoshi has been as dominant as he can be the last two matches.”
Freddie Freeman hit a double with two outs in the first and scored on Smith's single.
Smith hit the second deck in left field with a full-count fastball, and two batters later Muncy hit a hit to the opposite field and stopped the fastball on the outside corner. Jeff Hoffman threw a run-scoring pitch in the eighth and Smith then grounded in an RBI groundout.
After a day of travel, the series resumes Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles took the lead for the second straight night, scoring in the first when Freeman doubled after fouling three times on two hits and walked Smith in on a single.
A double by Springer and a single by Nathan Lux put runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom half, but Yamamoto struck out Guerrero, brought Kirk on a liner to first and iced Dalton Varsho with a called third strike.
“Staying to zero was a huge achievement,” Smith said.
Freeman made an uncharacteristic fielding error, walking Ernie Clement's first pop-up in the second, which fell for a 36-foot single, but Yamamoto retired the next three batters.
“It's on the heater now and I hope we don't have to use it anymore,” Freeman said.
A day after Bo Bichette returned from a sprained knee that sidelined him for seven weeks, the two-time All-Star started the game on the Toronto bench. He struck out in the seventh, grounded out, and stayed in the game at second base.
