Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave his team a gift on Saturday. He carried a one-hit game into the seventh inning of a World Series outing against the New York Yankees. And while the opening part of that sentence was nice—of course—it was the clause that followed that might ultimately prove to be the most important. This was one of the best games that Yamamoto has pitched in his first year in MLB. But its greatest value may come from its length.
The Dodgers are in an enviable position. They now sit up 2–0 in the World Series over the Yankees after Saturday’s 4–2 win. But there are still pockets of this roster worthy of concern. This rotation could generously be described as threadbare: The only place to look for a full starting five around here is on the injured list. Los Angeles has navigated the playoffs thus far with just three starting pitchers, two of whom missed significant time with injuries this year themselves, making it difficult to rely on them for any serious length. The Dodgers’ top relievers have admirably carried the resulting load, including navigating bullpen games in every round, even in critical situations. But that weight accumulates. Yet they collectively got a critical opportunity for breathing room with Yamamoto’s outing Sunday.
