Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Masterclass: Can the Dodgers Ride His Dominance All the Way to the World Series?

MILWAUKEE — When Tommy Edman sent that RBI single sailing into right field, giving the Dodgers a commanding 5-1 lead in the eighth inning of NLCS Game 2, the American Family Field crowd, electric moments before, fell deathly silent. It was as if the roar had been snuffed out, the energy sucked right from one of the most vibrant atmospheres we’ve witnessed all postseason. The defending World Series champs were putting on a clinic — completely overpowering the Brewers on their own turf. That’s just what the Dodgers do: they crush opponents without mercy.

Coming into this NLCS, the Dodgers were heavy favorites — no surprise there against Milwaukee, who boasted baseball’s best regular-season record. And in these opening bouts, L.A. is proving exactly why they’re the juggernaut many predicted — poised to make a back-to-back World Series appearance. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto nailing down the final out Tuesday in a complete game—the team’s first of the year—it’s clear the Dodgers’ pitching arsenal has arrived, deadly and precise. Coupled with Blake Snell’s masterful eight innings in Game 1, it’s evident that any team facing L.A. has a formidable challenge ahead.

“When your top pitchers dominate, you’re in a sweet spot,” said manager Dave Roberts, highlighting the mental and physical toughness his starters now exhibit. For months, questions about the Dodgers’ rotation centered on health rather than talent — but as August rolled into September, everything clicked. Snell, Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani all found their stride simultaneously, transforming the Dodgers into an unstoppable force.

First baseman Freddie Freeman summed it up aptly after the game: the pitching over the last two months has been nothing short of spectacular. And seeing Yamamoto recover from a rocky first pitch—giving up a homer to Jackson Chourio—only to dominate the rest of the game, retiring the last 14 batters, was a moment to savor. Groundball after groundball, he efficiently carved through Milwaukee’s lineup, ending as the first L.A. starter since José Lima in 2004 to throw a postseason complete game.

Together, Snell and Yamamoto have effectively silenced the Brewers, combining for 17 innings allowing just one run, a mere four hits, and 16 strikeouts. It’s a feat reminiscent of the legendary Bumgarner-Lincecum duos from the 2010 World Series, proving these Dodgers pitchers are among the elite. Brewers manager Pat Murphy couldn’t hide the frustration: his usually disciplined hitters were forced out of their comfort zones, chased pitches like never before.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith, behind the plate for both gems, didn’t exaggerate when he called these performances “probably the two best back-to-back games I’ve ever seen.” Even Clayton Kershaw — a man who’s seen greatness — marveled at the pitchers’ arsenal and pinpoint command. This kind of dominance is rare and spells trouble for anyone set to step in the batter’s box against L.A.

At this stage in the postseason, the difference is glaring: to topple the Dodgers, teams must be flawless. Meanwhile, L.A. shows it doesn’t have to be perfect to win — and right now, they’re steamrolling toward the World Series again. Despite some offensive cold spells and bullpen concerns, the starting rotation’s brilliance is covering all the bases. The looming question for the Brewers, now facing a daunting road trip to Dodger Stadium, is whether they can ignite their offense enough to extend this series and challenge this nearly unbeatable club.

With Game 3 just around the corner, Milwaukee’s momentum hangs by a thread. Two runs over two games won’t cut it — not against these Dodgers. And as they say, the pitcher’s duel is only just beginning.

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MILWAUKEE — As Tommy Edman ripped an RBI single into right field to give the Dodgers a 5-1 eighth-inning lead in NLCS Game 2, the crowd at American Family Field fell silent. One of the most electric atmospheres in baseball this postseason was neutralized as the home fans watched their team get bulldozed by the defending World Series champions.

Because that is what the Dodgers can do to an opponent.

They came into this NLCS as the heavy favorites against the Brewers, who had the best record in baseball in the regular season. And across the first two games of this series, L.A. is showing exactly why many viewed them as the heavyweight in the fight, destined to get back to the World Series for the second consecutive season.

When Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out Andrew Vaughn in the ninth inning Tuesday to finish the Dodgers’ first complete game this year and give L.A. a commanding 2-0 NLCS lead, it was an emphatic example of the dominance L.A. has shown thus far against Milwaukee. And following Blake Snell’s eight-inning gem in Game 1 on Monday, it provided a clear sign that L.A. is going to be a tough out for anyone.

“When you can have your most talented pitchers get the most outs, then you’re in a good spot,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of his starting rotation. “Right now, all four of those guys are in a really good head space. Physically, they’re sound. And you feel good about those guys starting a game and pushing them. They’re prepared for this.”

For so much of the 2025 regular season, the Dodgers’ biggest question was their starting pitching, and most of the time, it was more about health than production. For as talented as L.A.’s rotation is on paper, it didn’t matter if the hurlers couldn’t stay on the mound.

But over the course of August and September, the team’s rotation rounded into form as Snell, Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani finally all got healthy at the same time. And that’s when things began to fall into place.

“Our starting pitching for the last — you guys would know more — seven, eight weeks, has been … I don’t know if you can write enough words in your stories about our starting pitching. It really has been amazing,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said postgame.

[Get more L.A. news: Dodgers team feed]

Indeed, after a historic performance by Snell in NLCS Game 1, it was Yamamoto’s turn to spin a gem in Game 2. The Dodgers’ right-hander had a much different start to his outing than Snell, as he surrendered a leadoff homer to Brewers star Jackson Chourio on his first pitch of the game. But the homer did something for Yamamoto, who quickly locked in from there.

“I feel regrettable about that home run,” Yamamoto said afterward. “But I reset my mind, and then I just focused on executing my pitches.”

From that point, Yamamoto was on a roll, allowing just two more hits as he recorded all 27 outs. The right-hander retired the last 14 batters he faced and became the first L.A. starter to throw a complete game in the postseason since José Lima in the 2004 NLDS. And unlike Snell, who used the strikeout to mow down Brewers batters, the Japanese star did his work on the ground. He induced 15 groundouts in the game, which allowed him to stay efficient with his pitch count.

“I just heard that was the first time in eight years that someone threw a complete game in the postseason,” Yamamoto said, correctly, after striking out seven. “[It] was great for me that I established my rhythm, and then I dictated the tempo based off the game.”

The duo of Snell and Yamamoto at the top of the Dodgers’ rotation has singlehandedly stymied the Brewers’ offense. Across two games, they have combined to throw 17 innings while allowing one run on four hits with just one walk and 16 strikeouts. They are the first pair of teammates to throw eight or more innings in back-to-back playoff starts since Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum in Games 4 and 5 of the 2010 World Series.

“We chased way more than we’ve chased all year,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said postgame of his lineup’s approach in the first two games of the series. “We’ve been the best in baseball at not chasing. These pitchers brought out the worst in us.”

Said Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who caught both gems: “The last two nights have been impressive. It’s probably the two best back-to-back games pitched ever that I’ve seen.”

The dominance of this Dodgers duo so far in the postseason has drawn high praise, and deservedly so. They even left another Dodgers arm, one very familiar with greatness on the mound, in awe.

“With him and Snell both, multiple pitches wherever they want to in the zone,” Clayton Kershaw said after Game 2. “That’s really hard to cover. You can’t cover [Yamamoto’s] split, curveball, sinker, cutter, four-seam. You just can’t cover all of that. And the same with Blake last night, you can’t cover his changeup, slider, curveball, fastball when he’s putting it wherever he wants to.

“Their stuff is unbelievable, and they’re able to maintain it throughout the game, and their command doesn’t suffer throughout the game. They don’t miss a spot.”

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At this point in October, the biggest difference between the Dodgers and other teams is simple. To beat the Dodgers, opponents have to be at their very best. But for the Dodgers to beat those teams, they actually don’t. Because even with L.A. two wins away from another World Series, you could say this team hasn’t played its best in the postseason.

But if the Dodgers continue to get this level of starting pitching from Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Ohtani, who will start Games 3 and 4, respectively, nothing else matters. Not their offense, which has seen Ohtani go cold at the plate. Not their bullpen, which isn’t nearly as reliable as in years past. Nothing.

The scary question for the Brewers, as this series heads back to L.A., and for the two teams remaining on the American League side of the bracket is: What happens if the Dodgers find another gear?

“It’s really hard to say the pitching can step up any more than what they’ve been doing,” said Max Muncy, who homered in the victory Tuesday. “But I know from our standpoint offensively, there are still some moments that we can take advantage of.”

With Game 3 set for Thursday at Dodger Stadium, Milwaukee is on the ropes and will need to find some type of momentum on the road after losing home-field advantage. They’ll have to win two of three at Dodger Stadium to extend the series and send it back to Milwaukee. And to do so, more than anything else, they need to produce more offense.

Because if the Brewers are going to rally for the NL pennant, two runs across two games isn’t going to cut it. Not against most teams and especially not against these Dodgers.

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