LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers took a commanding 2-0 lead in the World Series after a 4-2 win over the New York Yankees on Saturday (Sunday in PHL), but the victory was marred by an injury scare to Japanese star Shohei Ohtani.
Home runs by Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernandez, and Freddie Freeman, combined with a dominant pitching performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, secured the Dodgers’ win at Dodger Stadium. The victory puts them in a strong position as the series shifts to New York for Game 3 on Monday.
However, concern loomed after Ohtani suffered a “left shoulder subluxation” while attempting to steal second base in the seventh inning. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani would undergo an MRI to assess the severity of the injury but remained hopeful.
“We’re going to get some tests tonight, tomorrow, and then we’ll know more in the next couple of days,” Roberts said. He added that medical staff were “encouraged” by Ohtani’s range of motion and strength and expected him to return to the lineup.
Ohtani, signed by the Dodgers last December in a record-breaking $700 million, 10-year deal, is a critical player for the team. “He’s the best player in the game, and to see him on the ground in pain, it’s not a good feeling for sure,” said Dodgers utility player Edman. “But we’re hopeful he recovers quickly.”
The Dodgers took control early, with Edman launching a 355-foot home run in the second inning. Yankees star Juan Soto tied it with a solo home run in the third, but the Dodgers answered quickly. Hernandez’s two-run homer in the third and Freeman’s second home run of the series extended the lead to 4-1.
Yamamoto, the Dodgers’ starter, held the Yankees to just one hit through 6.1 innings, neutralizing a lineup that includes Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. “He was great tonight,” Dodgers manager Roberts said of Yamamoto’s performance.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone, while acknowledging the challenge ahead, remained optimistic. “No one said it’s going to be easy,” Boone said. “It’s a long series, and we need to make it a long series now. We won’t flinch.”
The Yankees threatened in the ninth inning, scoring once and loading the bases, but Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia closed out the game to secure the victory.
With a 2-0 series lead, the Dodgers head to New York with both momentum and history on their side. Teams that win the first two games of a best-of-seven series in Major League Baseball have gone on to win the series 77 out of 92 times.
