Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani made a bold statement about his teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
In Game 7 of the World Series, Yamamoto entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with runners on first and second and only one out.
He managed to generate a soft grounder and a flyout after hitting Alejandro Kirk with a pitch, successfully getting out of the jam and pushing the game into extra innings.
The Japanese ace then had a 1-2-3 inning in the 10th, and got the final three outs for the Dodgers’ 5-4 win in Game 7 in the 11th, clinching the franchise’s second consecutive championship.
Yamamoto threw a total of 215 pitches during the World Series. He threw a one-run complete game in Game 2, followed that up with six innings of one-run baseball in Game 6, and then 2.2 scoreless innings in Game 7.
Without any rest, he stepped up into a high-leverage spot and delivered.
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Even his teammate, Ohtani, was left stunned at the feat pulled off by his fellow countryman.
“I have no idea how he pulled it off. I really believe he is the No. 1 pitcher in the whole world,” Ohtani said via his interpreter.
Ohtani was not the only person left stunned by the World Series MVP, as manager Dave Roberts was in awe of how Yamamoto managed this World Series.
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“It’s unheard of, and I think that there’s a mind component, there’s a delivery, which is a flawless delivery, and there’s just an unwavering will,” Roberts said. “I just haven’t seen it before. I really haven’t. You know, all that combined.
“There’s certain players that want moments and there’s certain players that want it for the right reasons, but Yoshi is a guy that I just completely implicitly trust.
“It’s the whole engine that works and not just the arm. So he’s just very efficient with his delivery.
“Throwing a hundred pitches and coming back after one day off and going three innings, it’s pretty crazy. I’m kind of crazy for sending him back out there. But I just felt he was the best option.”
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