In Game 6 of the World Series held on October 31, the Los Angeles Dodgers triumphed over the Toronto Blue Jays with a score of 3-1, leveling the series at 3-3 and putting them in a strong position for a potential back-to-back championship. Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, at 27 years old, delivered an impressive performance, throwing six innings and allowing just one run on five hits while striking out six batters. After Yamamoto, reliever Reyes Morissette took the mound, with Roki Sasaki coming in to pitch from the eighth inning, followed by Tyler Glasnow closing out the game without any further runs allowed.
In the first inning, Yamamoto faced some trouble when he allowed a runner due to a defensive error from Muncy with one out, but he managed to escape the jam with a ground-ball double play. The third inning saw the Dodgers gain a three-run lead, but they conceded one run when Springer hit a timely single with two outs and a runner on third. Nevertheless, Yamamoto maintained his composure, throwing 96 pitches through six innings.
Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked during the third inning with two outs, marking his ninth intentional walk in postseason history, which placed him solo second all-time, surpassing Albert Pujols. The record is held by Barry Bonds, who had 13 intentional walks. Following this, Mookie Betts drove in two runs with a single.
Yamamoto’s performance mirrored his earlier outing in Game 2, where he also pitched a complete game with 105 pitches, giving up just one run on four hits and striking out eight. This marked a notable achievement as he became the first pitcher since Curt Schilling in 2001 to complete back-to-back games in the postseason with one run allowed or fewer.
In his second year in Major League Baseball, Yamamoto has established himself as a key part of the Dodgers’ starting rotation, boasting a record of 12 wins and 8 losses with a 2.49 ERA. Throughout the regular season, he logged 173⅔ innings and has already pitched 28⅔ innings in the postseason, exceeding a total of 200 innings pitched this season.
After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented on the potential use of Ohtani as a starter. He emphasized that all options are on the table and that Ohtani would be an important part of their pitching strategy, possibly pitching two to four innings, though no specific plans had been finalized.
This reflection not only highlights the excellent performance of the Dodgers and Yamamoto but also sets up an exciting possibility for the further matches in the series, with the potential for historic performances shaping the overall outcome.