Well, that was NOT the plan. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the guy everyone’s used to seeing dominate, completely flopped in Milwaukee on Monday, lasting just 2 2/3 innings for his shortest postseason start ever. This stunning performance, or lack thereof, saw the Los Angeles Dodgers fall 7-4 to the Brewers, putting them in a deep 2-0 hole in the National League Championship Series and sending their bid for a third straight championship into serious jeopardy.
Yamamoto’s Unthinkable Collapse: A Human Moment For The Robot Ace
Nobody saw this coming. Yamamoto, the reigning 2025 World Series MVP, had been virtually unhittable in October. We’re talking an 8-1 record with a 2.14 ERA over 11 career postseason appearances! Remember last season’s NLCS Game 2 sweep of these very Brewers? He threw a three-hitter, the first playoff complete game since 2017. And when the Dodgers lost, Yamamoto was usually their answer, sporting a 3-0 record and a 1.23 ERA in those spots. They were banking on him to deliver another gem and tie this series up.
But Monday? Nope. Brewers hitters just kept fouling pitches off, driving up his pitch count until he just couldn’t hang. Yamamoto himself admitted, “I don’t know the exact reason yet. I need to check the videos and then I can reflect on what happened today,” speaking through an interpreter. Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts put it simply: “I think everybody’s so used to him being a robot that if he didn’t go eight innings, no hits, whatever, it wasn’t Yamamoto. It shows he’s a human being and it’s playoff baseball.”
He just didn’t have it, as manager Dave Roberts plainly stated. Yamamoto couldn’t hold two early Dodgers leads. The real turning point was the third inning. Trailing 2-1, the Brewers had runners on first and second with two outs when Jake Bauers stepped up. Bauers worked a full count, fouled off *six straight pitches*, and then capped his incredible 12-pitch at-bat with a walk to load the bases. “It was a blast, honestly,” Bauers said, “Any time you can get that locked in doing anything, it’s to me one of the most enjoyable experiences I think a human being can have.” Not so much for Yamamoto. Christian Yelich followed that marathon at-bat with a two-run single to center, putting Milwaukee up 3-2 and sending Yamamoto to the showers after just 75 pitches, 36 of them in that disastrous third inning. He finished with two walks, four hits allowed, and just one strikeout.
Dodgers’ Bats Go Silent: Where’s The Power When They Need It?
As bad as Yamamoto’s outing was, the Dodgers’ offense isn’t helping much either. They managed to pull ahead 4-3 in the fifth after Yamamoto left, but that lead evaporated, and then Milwaukee’s bullpen slammed the door shut. Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby combined to retire the *last 15 Dodgers batters*. Seriously, the last 15! This whole postseason has been a struggle for their lineup. On Monday, they scraped together just three hits, and they are now a pathetic 2 for 26 with runners in scoring position in the playoffs. And where’s the big bat? Four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani hasn’t homered since August 18th. Yikes.
So, the Dodgers are heading back home staring down a 2-0 deficit. Their quest to be the first NL team to win three straight World Series is now hanging by a thread. If those bats don’t wake up, and fast, Yamamoto might not even get another shot to redeem himself. This series is far from over, but the Dodgers need to find answers, and they need them right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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