The Los Angeles Dodgers had a rocky road during the regular season, but when October arrived, it seemed like they had finally figured it all out. In Game 3, they won an 18-inning marathon, seemingly sealing the deal—but the Toronto Blue Jays have fought back, taking a 3-2 lead in the series. Superstar Shohei Ohtani went nuclear in Game 3.
“That’s exactly what Ohtani did in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series. He tied the all-time record for most times on base in a game in regular season or postseason play. No one had reached base nine times in one game since Stan Hack in 1942,” SI’s Stephen Douglas wrote.
The problem for the Dodgers over the last two games has been their offense. Manager Dave Roberts had no problem admitting that.
“We haven’t found our rhythm,” Roberts told the media.
In a win-or-go-home game on Friday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound. He has already been called upon to deliver another historic performance.
“I’m not kidding when I say Yoshinobu Yamamoto might have to throw a shutout to force a Game 7. Might be the only way. I have zero faith in this offense to do anything. They’ll need to string together a few runs and just hope Yamamoto manages to pitch the game of his life,” Dodgers writer Blake Harris wrote.
Yamamoto has already thrown two complete games this postseason.
“Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a great outing for the Dodgers, throwing his second straight complete game while allowing only one run. He has been fantastic for the Dodgers this postseason, posting a 1.59 ERA through his four starts in October,” SI’s Aaron Coloma wrote.
Throwing three straight complete games is unheard of, but with the Dodgers’ struggling offense, that might be their last resort. Yamamoto has gotten the job done all postseason—and the Dodgers are counting on him to do it again.
The Dodgers’ ace is set to start Game 6, and if the team forces a Game 7, he could even make an appearance there with the season on the line. That remains to be seen—but first, Yamamoto has to get them to that second win-or-go-home game.
