Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto flipped Yankees’ greatest World Series edge

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto fooled nan Yankees successful wintertime by throwing retired a fewer random facts astir pinstriped lore. You know, nan benignant of worldly you could study by Googling. Anyway, intentional aliases not, it served arsenic a awesome changeup, and he had nan Yankees assuming rumors he preferred to spell westbound were incorrect and he really dreamed of The Bronx. Oops.

Well, Yamamoto did it again successful Game 2, utilizing a repertoire from nan heavens to make each nan Yankees isolated from Juan Soto look for illustration rank amateurs successful LA’s 4-2 victory. Yamamoto hadn’t been anyplace adjacent arsenic advertised since returning respective weeks agone from enarthrosis woes, but he fooled america each again by looking for illustration nan monster talent who received a grounds $325 cardinal statement from nan Dodgers. (The Yankees bid $300M earlier realizing he wasn’t going to come, nary matter nan money.)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto of nan Los Angeles Dodgers throws a transportation during nan 3rd inning of World Series Game 2 connected Oct. 26, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

Yamamoto, who sewage $1M much than Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (albeit for 1 much year) and almost precisely double Yankees Game 2 starter Carlos Rodon’s $162M Yankees free-agent take, sounded nan champion crippled of his inaugural Major League profession connected nan biggest stage. Throw successful nan $50.6M posting interest and he still looks plentifulness worthy it today.

Meantime, Rodon sewage hammered — make that double hammered. Third inning back-to-back location runs by Teoscar Hernandez and Game 1 expansive slam leader Freddie Freeman were plentifulness pinch Yamamoto dominating for illustration this. On his measurement out, aft 6 ¹/₃ innings of one-hit baseball, Yamamoto received possibly nan biggest ovation connected a nighttime erstwhile Dodgers fans came to revel successful Freeman’s Game 1 heroics.

The Yankees were expected to person nan starting pitching edge, but done 2 games, nan Dodgers are amended location since Yamamoto was nan champion of nan 4 starters and Rodon easy nan worst. The Yankees needed to person nan rotation separator because nan Dodgers person a lineup that doesn’t discontinue and a bullpen that’s either nan champion successful shot aliases nan best-rested.

The Yankees didn’t do nan small things correct successful Game 1 but switched it up for Game 2, erstwhile they didn’t do nan large things right, either.

Carlos Rodón of nan Yankees is pulled from nan crippled during nan 4th inning connected Oct. 26, 2024. Jason Szenes / New York Post

Through 2 games, they don’t look good. In fact, they look a batch little bully than nan crosstown Mets looked against this juggernaut of a Dodgers team, which is showing now why it was favored to triumph this World Series.

The World Series opener was devastating successful that location was a batch to lament — from Aaron Boone’s risky pitching calls to Gleyber Torres’ sloppy defense to Anthony Rizzo’s bizarre baserunning to moreover Carlos Torres’ onslaught zone. Umpire auditor estimated he was worthy 0.41 runs to nan Dodgers.

Follow The Post’s sum of nan Yankees successful nan postseason:

• Yankees pitcher was group up to neglect successful untimely decision
• Heyman: It’s clip for Yankees to make drastic Aaron Judge move
• Sherman: The Yankees aren’t successful Kansas City anymore
• The 2 sides of Juan Soto showed up successful Game 1

No 1 correction aliases 1 man successful bluish could person changed Game 2, erstwhile nan Dodgers dominated almost from nan start. No late-game fireworks were basal successful Game 2 since nan Yankees were constricted to a explosive of a location tally by free-agent-to-be Juan Soto — he besides scored successful nan ninth aft reaching connected a azygous disconnected nan wall — who’s only guaranteed 2 much games successful his Yankees tenure, which has been a blast.

If nan Yankees are going to propulsion a mild upset and a awesome comeback, they request to triumph nan rotation warfare to commencement winning nan conflict big. So far, it isn’t happening.