The morning after the Toronto Blue Jays’ bats went quiet, U.S. media were unanimous on what — and who made the difference in Game 2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stellar performance silenced the Rogers Centre and evened the World Series at one game apiece Saturday night, as the Los Angeles Dodgers went on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 5–1. The Japanese pitcher struck out eight and allowed just four hits, leaving many U.S. analysts and beat writers impressed. Much of the reaction defined Yamamoto’s performance as a “masterpiece” and “masterclass.” The best-of-seven series will now head to Los Angeles for Game 3 where veteran pitcher Max Scherzer will get the start. CP24 will continue to have live coverage from press conferences, roster developments, and score updates throughout the day. Here’s a breakdown of how some U.S. media outlets are reacting. ‘An absolute masterpiece’ - Yamamoto leaves Fox Sports crew in awe On Fox Sports post-game broadcast, analysts called Yamamoto’s outing “an absolute masterpiece,” marveling at his precision and control. The 27-year-old right-hander retired 20 Blue Jays batters and kept Toronto off balance all night — the kind of dominance that had David Ortiz declaring, “You have Snell, nasty… you have Ohtani, nasty… but Yamamoto is the nastiest guy out of the whole squad.” ‘This was a masterclass’ - MLB Network’s Al Leiter chimes in Former major leaguer and MLB Network analyst Al Leiter praised Yamamoto’s mix of off-speed pitches, saying, “This was a masterclass.” “Curve balls — I love it because of how much slower it is,” Leiter said. “He was able to get these hitters up until late in the game. He ended up showing why he is a big-game pitcher.” ‘Yamamoto in rare company’ - MLB.com highlights historic feat MLB.com’s Sonja Chen noted that Yamamoto’s back-to-back complete games put him “in rare company.” “He is the first pitcher with back-to-back complete games in the postseason since the D-backs’ Curt Schilling in 2001, and the first Dodger since Orel Hershiser in 1988,” Chen wrote. Read full story here. ‘Dodgers roar back to life’ - L.A. Times revels in bounce-back win The Los Angeles Times ran its morning headline with conviction, calling on their home crowd for Game 3: “Dodgers roar back to life to even World Series. Now it’s time for their fans to roar at home.” Columnist Bill Plaschke wrote, “George Springer will be batting leadoff for the Jays, and Max Scherzer will be starting on the mound, and if you don’t boo both of them into vapor, then I don’t know you anymore.” ‘It was over when…’ - ESPN breaks down key moment ESPN’s Jeff Passan pinpointed the turning point: “It was over when the Dodgers tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth inning, one frame after two solo home runs chased Kevin Gausman from the game.” Passan added, “The Dodgers scored two more runs in the eighth — one coming on a wild pitch, another on a groundout — giving Yoshinobu Yamamoto plenty of cushion, even if he didn’t need it.” Read full story here. ‘It doesn’t matter how you lose’ - Derek Jeter on Dodgers’ mindset On Fox Sports, Derek Jeter reminded fans that Game 2 was just one chapter in what’s expected to be a long series. “It really doesn’t make a difference if you get blown out or lose by one run,” Jeter said. “It’s a series for a reason. This is not the Super Bowl — it’s not one game.” ‘Toss and turned’: L.A. Times front page Iliana Limón Romero, assistant managing editor and sports editor shares an “early look” at the front page for the Los Angeles Times.
