TORONTO — The Los Angeles Dodgers rolled out Shohei Ohtani one more time to start Game 7 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays—and it almost cost them the title.
When the situation seemed most dire at Rogers Centre on Saturday night, Los Angeles leaned on Ohtani’s compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who returned to the mound in extra innings with no rest after winning Game 6 and finished up the comeback victory. Will Smith’s 11th-inning homer was the deciding factor in the Dodgers’ 5-4 win over the Blue Jays.
But there’s no denying the impact Ohtani and Yamamoto had on the series. The two Japanese players, who signed contracts worth a total of $1.025 billion as free agents last year, have now led the Dodgers to back-to-back World Series titles for any Major League Baseball team since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.
“It’s all about heart,” Mark Walter, the club’s owner, said about Yamamoto, in particular. “He doesn’t want to lose. I think that’s the story of the whole team. You know, he basically won three games for us. That’s unheard of.”
Yamamoto, who was named World Series MVP, finished the playoffs 5-1 with a 1.45 ERA. He threw 96 pitches over six innings to win his Game 6 start on Friday night, and he followed that up with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief on 34 more pitches Saturday. He also pitched a complete game in Game 2, becoming the first pitcher since Randy Johnson in 2001 to earn three wins in a World Series.
“In today’s game, [Yamamoto] really showed that he’s the No. 1 pitcher in the world,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani’s own performance in Game 7 lasted 51 pitches and ended when Bo Bichette hit a three-run homer in the third inning. It was too much to ask Ohtani to start on three days of rest with the Dodgers short starting pitching. Ohtani was shaky right from the start, allowing base runners in every one of his three innings.
“I was just so honored to be able to start this game, and unfortunately I didn’t do too well, so I regret that,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani started Game 4 at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, allowing four runs on six hits as he worked into the seventh inning of the 6-2 loss. That game came a day after Ohtani set a record by reaching base nine consecutive times on two homers, two doubles and five walks, four of them intentional.
It begged the question whether Ohtani had the stamina to pitch a day after he was on base so many times in a Game 3 the Dodgers won in 18 innings on a walk-off Freddie Freeman home run. Roberts noted after the Game 4 loss that Ohtani appeared mortal.
The same question came up when he was handed the Game 7 start.
“Shohei has the weight of the world on him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s the face of baseball. He’s going to be the MVP of the National League. It’s really special what he’s done. He’s just a great person and a great competitor.”
Yamamoto was a different story. After Friday night’s 3-1 win, Roberts said all pitching hands would be on deck for the finale, sans Yamamoto. But the right-hander arrived at the ballpark on Saturday and told the manager he was available.
“I know I would be pitching two days in a row, but all my teammates were playing a number of games in a row,” Yamamoto said. “I told him I’d be there if he needed me to close this series.”
And that’s what happened.
“What Yoshi did tonight is unprecedented,” Roberts said. “There’s a mental component to it. There’s a flawless delivery. And there’s an unwavering will.”
After Ohtani faltered, the game was the Blue Jays’ to lose, but the Dodgers kept pecking away. Down 4-2 in the seventh, Max Muncy homered, and in the top of the ninth, the unlikely Miguel Rojas, who wasn’t in the lineup until Game 6, tied it with a homer on one out against Jays closer Jeff Hoffman. That sent the game spinning into the bottom of the ninth locked at 4-4.
Blake Snell opened the ninth for the Dodgers, but with an out and runners on first and second, the bullpen door swung open, and Yamamoto entered the game. He immediately hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch, loading the bases.
The situation for the Dodgers appeared dire, and the Blue Jays seemed on the verge of winning their first World Series title in 32 years. But Daulton Varsho tapped a ball to Rojas at second who converted a force at the plate. And centerfielder Andy Pages, a defensive replacement who had just entered the game for Tommy Edman, roamed wildly into left center to grab a fly ball hit by Ernie Clement.
That threat was over, but extra innings brought plenty more. The deciding factor came in the top of the 11th, as Smith homered with two outs off Game 4 starter Shane Bieber to give the Dodgers the lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led with a scorch of a double into the left field corner and was moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt. Addison Barger walked, and Roberts moved the infield in for a possible play at the plate and Kirk at bat. On an 0-2 pitch, Roberts moved the infield back to double play depth. With that, Kirk smacked a grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts who stepped on second base, throwing to Freeman at first for the final two outs.
And that’s the way one of the greatest World Series in recent history ended.
“There was so many pressure points on how that game could have flipped, and we just kept fighting,” Roberts said. “I could go on and on about the great plays and performances. I’m still trying to unpack it all. This is one of the greatest games I’ve ever been a part of.”
Matthew Pouliot
