Yoshinobu Yamamoto wasn’t supposed to pitch in Game 7 of the World Series.
Manager Dave Roberts said after Yamamoto’s six-inning in performance one night prior that all pitchers except Yamamoto would be available for the thrilling Fall Classic conclusion. However, after he was spotted warming up ahead of Game 7, it seemed like the ace of the Los Angeles Dodgers would once again make himself available.
After pitching the final 2.2 innings of Game 7 in what will go down as one of the most heroic efforts in World Series history, Yamamoto revealed that longtime personal trainer Osamu Yada “tricked” him into making himself available.
“Let’s see if you can throw in the bullpen tomorrow,” Yada said to Yamamoto after Game 6.
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Yada claimed that Yamamoto being in the bullpen would be enough to give the Dodgers a psychological edge over Toronto, both for the morale of his teammates and to keep Blue Jays’ hitters uneasy. However, with one out and two on in the ninth inning, the ace trotted out of the bullpen and on his way to World Series MVP honors.
“That’s how I got tricked,” Yamamoto said lightheartedly in Japanese. “I felt good when I practiced, and the next thing I knew, I was on the mound in the game.”
Yamamoto was already entering the game in an extremely high-leverage situation, but after hitting a batter just two pitches into his outing, the bases were loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning of a 4-4 game in Game 7 of the World Series.
The ace generated a ground ball that created an incremental force out at home plate, and on the very next pitch, a fly ball that Andy Pages miraculously tracked down (taking down Kiké Hernández in the process).
Yamamoto recorded a strikeout in a perfect 10th inning, and after a solo shot by Will Smith in the 11th, the ace generated a World Series-winning double play with two on and one out in the bottom of the 11th to help write the next chapter of MLB history.
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Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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One Response
Kudos to Yamamoto, he was an absolute stud in the series. Usually after the series I’m wondering who the MVP will be? Not this time, there was no doubt.
But.. but…, I know pitchers used to do long games, lots of innings, old enough to remember it, but in today’s world of TJ surgery in high school, I just hope it doesn’t come back to bite him.