Dodgers Starters Did Something For First Time in Five Years in First Two Games of World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers weren’t supposed to have one of the best starting rotations in the postseason but don’t tell them that.

Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto also accomplished something in the first two games of the World Series against the New York Yankees that hadn’t been done in five years.

Flaherty (5.1 innings in Game 1) and Yamamoto (6.1 innings in Game 2) provided the Dodgers with their first back-to-back starts of at least six innings since the 2019 National League Division Series when Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler achieved the feat in Games 1 and 2.

Yamamoto allowed just one hit while striking out four and walking two in his World Series debut. After giving up a solo home run to Juan Soto in the third inning, he retired the next 11 consecutive batters. The Dodgers went on to win the game 4-2.

“He was made for those moments,” Teoscar Hernández said. “We trust in him. Earlier today, I told him it was going to be a good night for him, and he did. He gave us a chance to score some runs. He put some zeros on the board, and we won the game.”

Yamamoto only needed 86 pitches to get through his outing and 54 were for strikes.

“I was trying to focus on facing one hitter at a time,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter. “I was able to throw the strike when I wanted.”

Flaherty allowed five hits and two earned runs while striking out six in Game 1’s 6-3 win.

“Just one pitch at a time,” Flaherty said about working his way through the game. “It was an incredible atmosphere and an unbelievable setting.”

Flaherty is coming off a National League Championship Series filled with dramatic highs and lows. In Game 1 against the New York Mets, he pitched six scoreless innings, giving up only two hits. However, in his Game 5 start, he struggled, allowing eight earned runs in just three innings.

He will have regular rest heading into a Game 5 start on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

The Dodgers bring a 2-0 series lead into the Bronx and will turn to Walker Buehler to start Game 3. The bullpen is scheduled to handle Game 4.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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