Outpoll | Rare playoff complete game helps Dodgers take 2-0 NLCS lead on Brewers

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Rare playoff complete game helps Dodgers take 2-0 NLCS lead on Brewers

Rare playoff complete game helps Dodgers take 2-0 NLCS lead on Brewers

1 day ago7 min read4 comments

In a postseason increasingly dominated by bullpen games and strict pitch counts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a throwback performance for the ages, authoring the first playoff complete game in eight years to propel the Los Angeles Dodgers to a commanding 5-1 victory and a 2-0 NLCS lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. The stage was set for drama from the very first pitch at American Family Field, as Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio ambushed a 96.9-mph Yamamoto fastball, sending it 389 feet into the Dodgers' bullpen for a stunning leadoff homer. For a moment, it felt like the script was flipped, but what followed was a masterclass in composure and dominance that echoed the legendary complete-game efforts of postseason past.Yamamoto, the highly-touted Japanese import, didn't just settle in; he took over, dictating the tempo with a surgeon's precision. After that initial jolt, he allowed just two more hits—a single in the third and another in the fourth—before systematically dismantling the Brewers' lineup, retiring the final 14 batters in order and punctuating his 111-pitch masterpiece with a game-ending strikeout of Andrew Vaughn.His final line—one run on three hits with seven strikeouts—wasn't just a stat line; it was a statement, a reminder of the raw, untamable power of an ace taking the ball and refusing to give it back. The last pitcher to accomplish such a feat was Justin Verlander in the 2017 ALCS, a 124-pitch, 13-strikeout tour de force for the Astros against the Yankees.Yamamoto's gem exists in that same rarefied air, a testament to his elite conditioning and mental fortitude, qualities that separate the very good from the truly historic. It also continued a staggering run of pitching for the Dodgers, coming directly on the heels of Blake Snell's eight shutout innings in Game 1, a one-two punch that has left the Brewers' offense looking utterly bewildered.'These pitchers brought out the worst in us,' a resigned Brewers manager Pat Murphy admitted, capturing the futility his team felt at the plate. While Yamamoto was weaving his magic, the Dodgers' offense provided just enough cushion, methodically building their lead.Teoscar Hernandez immediately answered Chourio's blast with a 377-foot solo shot of his own off Brewers starter Freddy Peralta in the top of the second, a crucial response that stole back all the momentum. Rookie Andy Pages then showcased his burgeoning talent, driving in Enrique Hernandez with an RBI double later in the inning to seize a 2-1 lead.The score held tight, a testament to Yamamoto's brilliance, until the sixth when Max Muncy provided a vital insurance run by demolishing a 412-foot solo homer. The final nails in the coffin came via RBI singles from the heart of the order, with Shohei Ohtani and Tommy Edman delivering in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, showcasing the relentless, deep nature of the Dodgers' lineup.'There's a lot of talent in the room,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, understating the obvious. 'It speaks to character in the sense of whatever happens, it doesn't faze us.' That character was embodied by Yamamoto, who shook off the worst possible start to author one of the most memorable pitching performances in recent playoff history. As the series shifts to the sun-soaked environs of Dodger Stadium for Game 3, the Brewers find themselves in a dire historical predicament, with 90% of teams falling short after dropping the first two games of a best-of-seven series.Yet, Murphy hinted at a flicker of defiance, stating, 'You guys might have us counted out, and I understand that. But this team has been counted out a lot this year and I think there is some fight left in them. ' Whether that fight is enough to overcome the tidal wave of momentum generated by Yamamoto's historic arm remains the central, captivating question of this National League Championship Series.