Yamamoto proud of rare complete game performance to help Dodgers even World Series

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM DODGERS PITCHER YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO AND MANAGER DAVE ROBERTS, BLUE JAYS MANAGER JOHN SCHNEIDER FOLLOWING GAME 2 OF THE WORLD SERIES  SHOWS: TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA (OCTOBER 25, 2025) (MLB – Editorial use only. No monetisation) 1. DODGERS STARTING PITCHER YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO WITH TRANSLATOR YOSHIHIRO SONODA AT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER 5-1 WIN OVER BLUE JAYS IN WORLD SERIES GAME TWO 2. (SOUNDBITE)(Japanese followed by English translation) DODGERS PITCHER YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO AFTER BEING ASKED HOW MUCH PRIDE HE HAS AFTER PITCHING A COMPLETE GAME IN WORLD SERIES, SAYING: "To be honest, I was not thinking I can complete the game because my pitch count racked up kind of quickly, but I'm very happy I completed the game." 3. WHITE FLASH 4. (SOUNDBITE)(Japanese followed by English translation) DODGERS PITCHER YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO AFTER BEING ASKED IF HE KNOWS HOW UNUSUAL IT IS FOR PITCHERS TO THROW COMPLETE GAMES, SAYING: "I'm very happy and proud of the fact that I was able to bring a big contribution and give a chance for the team to win." 5. DODGERS MANAGER DAVE ROBERTS SPEAKING AT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE  6. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DODGERS MANAGER DAVE ROBERTS AFTER BEING ASKED WHAT SUPERLATIVES HE WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE YAMAMOTO'S PERFORMANCE, SAYING: "Outstanding, uber competitive, special. Yeah, he was just locked in tonight. It was one of those things he said before the series, losing is not an option, and he had that look tonight." 7. WHITE FLASH 8. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DODGERS MANAGER DAVE ROBERTS AFTER BEING ASKED WHAT MAKES YAMAMOTO SO GOOD IN BIG GAMES, SAYING: "You know, he's pitched in huge ball games in Japan. He's pitched in the WBC (World Baseball Classic). Players that have the weight of a country on their shoulders, that's pressure. So I just feel that part of his DNA is to just perform at a high level in big spots and control his heartbeat and just continue to make pitches. So I mean, he could have went another 30, 40 pitches tonight." 9. WHITE FLASH 10. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DODGERS MANAGER DAVE ROBERTS AFTER BEING ASKED HOW IT FELT IN THE DUGOUT WHEN WILL SMITH HIT HIS HOME RUN, SAYING: "Huge relief. (Kevin) Gausman was throwing the baseball really well. We were in between, I thought, offensively with the fastball. When Will got into that 3-2 count, just missed a 3-1 heater, and then they went to the well again and hit a homer, and there was just complete elation. We felt that the way Yamamoto was throwing, runs were certainly going to be hard to come by, and then when Max (Muncy) backed it up with another homer, just huge relief. And then to build an inning after that was big. But, yeah, that homer kind of a big exhale from the dugout." 11. BLUE JAYS MANAGER JOHN SCHNEIDER SPEAKING AT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER LOSS 12. (SOUNDBITE)(English) BLUE JAYS MANAGER JOHN SCHNEIDER AFTER BEING ASKED ABOUT DOING SO WELL AGAINST BLAKE SNELL IN GAME ONE, WAS YAMAMOTO JUST THAT MUCH BETTER IN GAME TWO, SAYING: "No, he was that good. It kind of started that way. Got his 23, 24 pitches in the first, I think. That was probably our best chance. First and third and nobody out. After that, it was kind of few and far between. Second complete game in a row in the postseason, that's pretty impressive, with a layoff in between. I think he made it hard for us to make him work. He was in the zone, split was in and out of the zone. It was a really good performance by him." 13. WHITE FLASH 14. (SOUNDBITE)(English) BLUE JAYS MANAGER JOHN SCHNEIDER AFTER BEING ASKED ABOUT POSSIBLY FACING YAMAMOTO AGAIN IN GAME SIX, SAYING: "It's the first time we have seen him, so you get some feedback and hopefully make some adjustments. But really I think right now, you're worried about (Tyler) Glasnow, game three, but I think we do a really good job of making adjustments as we see guys. Again, man, that was a great performance by him." STORY: Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto flipped the World Series script in favor of the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who are headed home for three games and flying high after a 5-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday (October 25). Yamamoto was spectacular while pitching a complete game, striking out eight batters and walking none, while Will Smith drove in three runs, including a solo home run in the seventh inning that put the Dodgers ahead for good. The win leveled the best-of-seven series at 1-1 and put the star-studded Dodgers back on track in their bid to become Major League Baseball's first repeat champion in 25 years. A day after a humbling 11-4 defeat that exposed the thinness of the Dodgers' bullpen and may have allowed some doubt to creep into the Dodgers clubhouse, the team turned the ball over to their ace in hopes he could right the ship. Making his first start since pitching a complete-game gem in the National League Championship Series, Yamamoto again went the distance and left Blue Jays hitters baffled one day after they seemingly were hitting pitches at will. The Dodgers made a fast start as Freddie Freeman hit a two-out double in the first inning before Smith singled to put the visitors ahead 1-0. Toronto threatened in the bottom half of the inning, getting runners on first and third with no outs, but Yamamoto retired the next three batters to get out of the jam and never looked back. Yamamoto was so dominant that he retired the final 20 batters he faced on the night, a remarkable run that started when he got Alejandro Kirk out on a sacrifice fly that scored George Springer in the third. The Dodgers, who also had their hands full with Toronto starter Kevin Gausman, broke through in the seventh when Smith homered into the second deck in left field before Max Muncy's solo shot two batters later. Los Angeles added two more runs in the eighth on a wild pitch before Smith grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Shohei Ohtani. Gausman, who prior to Smith's homer had retired 17 Dodgers batters in a row, took the loss after allowing three runs and striking out six batters in 6-2/3 innings. (Production: David Grip)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)