TOKYO – The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their second straight World Series championship with a dramatic come-from-behind win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Saturday’s Game 7, thanks in large part to the crucial postseason contributions of Japanese trio Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki.
Ace right-hander Yamamoto was the winning pitcher in three of the games against the Blue Jays and became the first Japanese World Series MVP since Hideki Matsui with the New York Yankees in 2009.
The 27-year-old came out of the bullpen with zero days’ rest to close out the series in the 5-4 Game 7 win over 11 innings at Rogers Centre and finish the postseason with a 5-1 record.
“I trained today and was told I might pitch while resting, and then I found myself in the bullpen. We tied the game and next thing I knew, I was on the mound,” Yamamoto said after his stellar relief effort.
Yamamoto became the first-ever pitcher to win three road games in the Fall Classic, starting with a complete game in Game 2 to square the series 1-1 followed by a 6-inning Game 6 gem to keep Los Angeles alive at 3-3.
“I don’t feel like I’ve exceeded my limits, but this was the first time I’d pitched two days in a row since becoming a professional,” Yamamoto said. “I feel like I’ve reached another level.”
Yamamoto’s remarkable playoff performance, which also included a complete-game win in the National League Championship Series, came after he was the only member of the Dodgers’ starting rotation to pitch throughout the regular season.
“I believe everyone’s thinking Yoshinobu is the world’s No. 1 pitcher,” said Ohtani, who might otherwise have been MVP of the best-of-seven series.
The two-way superstar went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, three runs and five walks in one of the all-time great World Series offensive performances to spur the Dodgers to an incredible 6-5 win over 18 innings in Game 3 in Los Angeles.
He was knocked out just 2-1/3 innings into his start on the mound in Game 7 but continued to make offensive contributions as designated hitter.
“It was an incredible game, everyone played good baseball, and it was a wonderful win in the end,” Ohtani said.
World Series MVP is one of the few accolades to so far elude Ohtani, who made his two-way playoff debut this year and is expected to collect his fourth regular-season MVP award later this month.
Sasaki, whose Major League Baseball rookie season was cut short by shoulder trouble, reemerged in time to become an important part of the Dodgers’ playoff run.
The 23-year-old right-hander served as a high-leverage reliever and closer in an unfamiliar role, having been a starting pitcher throughout his professional career.
“It’s been a frustrating season,” Sasaki said. “But I’ve managed to pitch in the postseason, and it’s been a really good experience for me with the team also becoming the world champion.”