An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs after hitting a single against the Toronto Blue Jays, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hyeseong Kim throws a baseball, Image 3 shows Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto mid-delivery on the mound
TORONTO –– Last time he was in Toronto, Yoshinobu Yamamoto almost single-handedly neutralized the Blue Jays.
In his return Tuesday night, he needed a little help.
Through five innings in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win, the reigning World Series MVP was mimicking his Fall Classic brilliance. He’d struck out six batters, including three in a row to begin the game. He’d allowed only one hit, on a second-inning fly ball that got over Kyle Tucker’s head in right.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning at Rogers Centre. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The outing might have lacked the stakes of his previous visit to Rogers Centre, when Yamamoto logged back-to-back victories in Games 6 and 7 of an epic World Series battle.
But up to that point, he’d been almost as dominant.
“He commanded everything,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He threw the baseball really well.”
Then, out of nowhere, he almost squandered the Dodgers’ 3-0 lead.
The Blue Jays finally broke through in the sixth, when Andrés Giménez hit a leadoff single and George Springer brought him home with an RBI double. In the seventh, Yamamoto left behind an even bigger jam, exiting the game with the tying runners aboard after Kazuma Okamoto doubled (staying alive via an ABS challenge that negated a called third strike earlier in his at-bat) and Ernie Clement bunted for a hit.
Just like that, reliever Alex Vesia was inheriting a high-leverage mess. And after he walked his first batter, the Blue Jays had the bases loaded with no outs.
“You gotta walk the first guy,” Vesia deadpanned, “and then make it really hard for yourself.”
Alas, as became their habit last October, the Dodgers found a way to escape and prevail.
Vesia prevented any runs from scoring, skipping off the bump three outs later with a pump of his fist. Blake Treinen and Edwin Díaz took care of the next two innings, sewing up the team’s fifth-consecutive win to clinch this week’s highly-anticipated rematch series.
And this time, it was Yamamoto cheering the biggest moments from the dugout, getting a lift from his teammates in a victorious six-plus-inning, one-run performance.
“I was saved by Vesia,” he said.
Shohei Ohtani hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
What it means
The Dodgers had already clinched a winning road trip with their victory in Monday’s series opener. Now, they’ve secured two series wins and have the chance Wednesday to go 6-0 on this East Coast swing.
It’s a sign that everything is clicking for the team right now –– from the offense (which now has 49 runs on the trip) to the starting pitching (led by Yamamoto and his 2.50 ERA through three outings) and even a bullpen that is off to a resurgent start to the season (lowering its ERA to 2.70 after Wednesday’s three scoreless innings).
At 9-2 overall, the Dodgers are also on the verge of reaching the 10-win mark faster than they have since 2021.
Who’s hot
How about the two names at the bottom of the order Tuesday, who helped spark all three scoring rallies for the Dodgers on the night.
No. 8 hitter Hyeseong Kim (who was a late addition to the lineup after Miguel Rojas was scratched because of a family matter) hit a leadoff double in the third inning, spurring a two-run frame that also included a 105 mph RBI single from Shohei Ohtani off the wall in right. In the fifth, he drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a Kevin Gausman balk.
No. 9 hitter Alex Freeland, who was in a 1-for-21 slump entering Tuesday, scored Kim in the fifth with an RBI single. Later, he added a double in the seventh, then a two-out infield single in the ninth. The latter knock was also accompanied by a throwing error from Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela, allowing Freeland to go to second. He eventually scored on an RBI single from Tucker, giving Díaz a little extra insurance for his fourth save.
Hyeseong Kim throws out Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho in the fifth inning. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Who’s not
Just like Monday night, it remains the Blue Jays.
And to be more specific, their manager John Schneider.
After Gausman’s balk in the fifth inning, Schneider came out of the dugout with only one intention. With his team in an early-season rut, it seemed like he was begging to get ejected from the game.
Following an extended argument, home plate umpire Dan Merzel finally obliged –– prompting a red-faced Schenider to dramatically spike his cap to the ground before berating Merzel inches away from his face.
If the outburst was intended to wake up his team, it failed. Instead, the banged-up Blue Jays dropped their sixth-straight game, and fell to 4-7 on the season.
Up next
The Dodgers will go for the series sweep Wednesday, when Shohei Ohtani will take the mound for the second time this season. He’ll face off against Toronto’s marquee offseason signing, Dylan Cease, for a 12:07 p.m. Pacific first pitch.