The Dodgers bounced back nicely after that rough Game 1, and a big part of that was thanks to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. If you remember, in Game 1, the Dodgers struggled… Blake Snell had a tough outing, and the bullpen couldn’t hold things together, but Yamamoto basically handled everything himself this time.

He showed exactly how to deal with the Blue Jays’ hot-hitting lineup, striking out 4 and giving up just 1 run over 9 innings. Guess what, performances like that are precisely why the Dodgers were willing to spend $325 million on him. And, well… let’s just say Dodgers fans now have plenty to tease Yankees fans about.

“Remember when people clowned the Dodgers for giving Yoshinobu Yamamoto $325 million even though he’d never pitched in MLB before,” one Dodgers loyalist took a sarcastic dig at the Yankees.

For the unversed, before signing with the Dodgers, the Japanese sensation had a brief history with the Yankees!!!

The Yankees were actively involved in the pursuit of Yamamoto during the 2023–24 offseason. Reportedly, Brian Cashman and team officials made a significant effort to recruit Yamamoto, engaging in multiple meetings and offering a contract valued at $300 million. However, that amount was much lower than the Dodgers’ $325 million offer.

Reason? The Yankees were not in favor of offering a pitcher more than $324 million, which is what they provided to Gerrit Cole. Now, Cole is sidelined for the entire year with the Yankees, and here Yamamoto is smacking the rival offense in his consecutive World Series.

The Dodgers’ bet with Yamamoto that time was dubbed a risky affair. And even former outfielder Josh Reddick can’t help but say back in 2023, “How do you give a guy $325 million without ever throwing a pitch in MLB?”

Yamamoto has now achieved his second straight complete game, giving up just one run this postseason. He’s sitting at a 1.59 ERA over four October starts. To put it in perspective, the last pitcher to throw back-to-back complete games in the playoffs was Curt Schilling back in 2001 with the Diamondbacks. Hence, performances like this make the Dodgers’ $325 million investment look totally worth it.

The Dodgers fans are having a day out

There were a lot of talks after that 11-4 drubbing in game 1, but the Dodgers have made a comeback, and how. Shutting the Blue Jays down to just 1 run! That too, riding on someone who was questioned upon boarding the team. “TOR fans talking stuff until they see good pitching….,” one fan said.

The Blue Jays came into this series, putting up some of the best offensive numbers of the entire 2025 postseason. They crushed the Yankees with 34 runs in four games during the ALDS. Then, they battled back from a 2-0 hole against the Mariners by outscoring them 33-17 over the next five. Heading into Game 1, they were averaging nearly seven runs a game and hitting over .300 as a team. That’s more than 50 points better than the Dodgers. But all that firepower didn’t matter once they faced Yamamoto. The same lineup that had been torching pitchers all October couldn’t figure out his six-pitch arsenal.

And what could be a better day than tonight for the Dodgers fan to take on the Yankees? “That’s why u pay for Yoshinobu Yamamoto @ Yankees,” one fan remarked. “The Yankees didn’t offer Yoshinobu Yamamoto more than $300 million because they didn’t want Yamamoto to make more total money than Gerrit Cole, even though Yamamoto’s $325 million deal was for 4 more years than Cole’s,” added another.

Well, it was just a difference $25 million between the Yankees and Dodgers offers for Yamamoto. Still, the Yankees thought that would have been an overpay for someone who hadn’t pitched in MLB by then. But tonight’s complete game is all a $325 million arm looks like. “Yoshinobu Yamamoto retired the last 20 (!!!) hitters he faced tonight. To do that in the World Series, a $325 million performance if I’ve ever seen one,” added another. And to note that Yamamoto has done not one but two complete games in the last 11 days!

“Josh Reddick, when he realizes his dumbass Yamamoto tweet is about to be quote-tweeted for the next 24 hours again.” It’s not only the Yankees; Reddick was also skeptical about the Dodgers’ investment in someone entirely new to MLB.

Well, all season long, Yamamoto has been one of the best arms in baseball, finishing with a 2.66 ERA over 48 starts. Coming into Saturday’s game, he’d carried that dominance into October with a 1.83 ERA through 19.2 postseason innings. Notably in game 2, he leaned on his electric four-seamer early and often, then used that nasty splitter to keep Toronto’s hitters off balance.

Honestly, what more can you ask for from a starter? This just proves again that the Dodgers didn’t just throw money around… They invested smartly in a guy who’s every bit worth it.