Dodgers beat Yankees 4-2 for 2-0 World Series lead, as Ohtani injures shoulder-ZoomTech News

LOS ANGELES — Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked again to his dugout and made the slightest tip of his cap to cheering followers. He left Japan for moments like this, a chance to place the Los Angeles Dodgers answerable for the World Collection.

However the Dodgers will head to New York unsure whether or not Shohei Ohtani can play after their greatest star partially dislocated his left shoulder on a slide at second base.

“We’re going to get some checks sooner or later tonight, tomorrow, after which we’ll know extra within the subsequent couple days,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “The energy was nice. The vary of movement good. So we’re inspired.”

Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández additionally went deep off starter Carlos Rodón, who tied a Yankees World Collection file by permitting three residence runs.

New York was held to at least one hit earlier than the ninth, when the Yankees closed to 4-2 on Giancarlo Stanton’s one-out RBI single in opposition to Blake Treinen. Anthony Volpe struck out with the bases loaded, and Alex Vesia got here in to retire pinch-hitter Jose Trevino on a first-pitch flyout for his first postseason save.

“Considering again to my entrance yard at my home, that’s what we’d envision,” Vesia stated.

Recreation 3 is Monday night time at Yankee Stadium. Forty-five of 56 groups holding 2-0 World Collection leads have gone on to win the title.

“Nobody stated it’s going to be simple,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone stated. “It’s a protracted collection, and we have to make it a protracted collection now. We gained’t flinch.”

Yankees star Aaron Choose went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. He’s 1 for 9 within the Collection and is hitting .150 with six RBIs and 19 strikeouts in 40 postseason at-bats.

“Simply increasing the zone. That’s actually what it actually comes right down to,” Choose stated. “I believe it’s making an attempt to make issues occur as a substitute of letting the sport come to you. … Plain and easy, I’ve received to begin swinging at strikes.”

Yamamoto turned down the Yankees final December and joined the Dodgers for a $325 million, 12-year contract, a file for pitchers, teaming with Ohtani to create file curiosity in Main League Baseball again in Japan.

The rookie right-hander threw seven scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium on June 7 however was sidelined from June 15 to Sept. 10 due to a strained rotator cuff. This was his most interesting begin for the reason that damage.

Yamamoto gave up Juan Soto’s third-inning homer, then retired his final 11 batters.

“He was made for these moments,” Hernández stated. “He was doing it in Japan earlier than he received right here, and as quickly as he received right here, he was doing it right here.”

Yamamoto struck out 4 and walked two with a five-pitch array that included curveballs, splitters, sliders and cutters. He improved to 2-0 in 4 postseason begins.

“It was sort of a blended feeling as a result of I used to be very (a lot) trying ahead to it and glad, however then after I felt that I began making an attempt to focus,” Yamamoto stated by means of a translator.

Soto’s fourth postseason homer, on an inside fastball, was the one run Yamamoto permitted in two begins and 13 1/3 innings in opposition to the Yankees this yr.

Soto additionally singled off the right-field wall within the ninth and scored on Stanton’s one-out base hit off the third-base bag. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch for the second time within the sport, loading the bases.

However the rally ended there.

“That is every part to me, taking part in on the very best stage with actually the 2 greatest groups you possibly can play for, greatest franchises, most historical past,” Vesia stated.

An evening after Freeman hit the primary walk-off grand slam in Collection historical past to remodel a 3-2 deficit with two outs within the tenth inning right into a 6-3 win, Edman put the Dodgers forward with a solo shot within the second.

After Soto tied the rating, Mookie Betts singled with two outs within the backside half and Hernández, in a 3-for-27 slide, homered into the right-center pavilion. Freeman, who earlier than Friday hadn’t gone deep since since Sept. 16, labored the depend full and homered to right-center once more.

Enjoying on a sprained proper ankle, Freeman has homered in 4 straight Collection video games relationship to Atlanta’s final two video games in opposition to Houston in 2021. That’s one shy of the file held by Astros outfielder George Springer.

Freeman had six days off getting into the World Collection.

“I used to be in a position to calm my ankle down,” he stated. “So hopefully with the flight tonight — I’ve been swelling loads on flights — so, hopefully tomorrow we are able to get it down and get in a great place for Recreation 3.”

All three Dodgers homers got here on fastballs from Rodón, whose 31 longballs allowed throughout the common season tied for second-most within the main leagues. Los Angeles had back-to-back Collection homers for simply the second time, after Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager linked in opposition to Yankees lefty Ron Guidry for a 2-1 win in Recreation 5 in 1981.

Rodón gave up 4 runs and 6 hits in 3 1/3 innings. He received only one swing and miss on his fastball.

Los Angeles took a 2-0 Collection lead for the primary time since 1988, when Kirk Gibson’s walk-off homer in opposition to Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley gained the opener and Orel Hershiser adopted with a three-hit shutout. The Yankees are 0-2 for the primary time since 2001, once they rebounded to win three straight at residence and misplaced Video games 6 and seven at Arizona.

Ohtani’s MRI and a dedication of his availability might be anxiously awaited by the Dodgers and their followers.

“Not solely the dugout, however the entire stadium went silent,” Hernández stated. “Hopefully he’s OK and the break day tomorrow will assist him get again on the sector Monday.”