Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominated the New York Yankees on his World Series debut as his Los Angeles Dodgers team closed out a 4-2 win to lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.
The hosts also thrilled the raucous Dodger Stadium crowd with three home runs, and survived a last-gasp Yankees rally as the National League champions took charge of the ‘Fall Classic’.
In contrast to the scoreless first half of game one, both teams were on the board early as the Dodgers’ Tommy Edman and the Yankees’ Juan Soto traded solo home runs.
But the hosts then staged a home run derby of their own in the third inning, with Teoscar Hernandez and Friday’s walk-off hero Freddie Freeman both going deep to give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead.
Yamamoto, who penned a 12-year contract worth $325m (£251m) – a Major League Baseball record for a pitcher – when he joined the Dodgers from the Japanese league last December, pitched into the seventh inning, with Soto’s homer the only hit he allowed.
The Yankees offence, with star batter Aaron Judge hitless and striking out three times, fared no better against the bullpen until they rallied in the ninth inning.
The visitors were in the last chance saloon when Soto led off with a base hit, advanced to second on a wild pitch and was driven in by Giancarlo Stanton to make it 4-2.
Jazz Chisholm Jr singled and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Anthony Volpe struck out and, with the Yankees down to their last out, pinch-hitter Jose Trevino flew out to centre field.
A bigger concern for the Dodgers was when designated hitter Shohei Ohtani left the field in some pain after injuring his left shoulder during a failed stolen base attempt in the seventh inning.
The series now moves to New York, with game three at Yankee Stadium on Monday evening.
