Playing to Strength

The Dodgers like to hit homeruns, and they like to spend money on pitchers. Last night, that formula worked to perfection, with the boys of Tinseltown topping the Blue Jays, 5-1, behind seventh-inning homeruns from Will Smith and Max Muncy along with a complete game by Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 27-year old righthander gave up four hits (three singles and a double) and no walks while fanning eight. Yamamoto signed a twelve-year, $325 million contract back in December of 2023. Has he been worth it? That depends. He’s gone 19-10 over the course of two seasons. Not overwhelming numbers—affected by injuries, especially in 2024—and not nearly as impressive as 5-1 over two postseasons, including 3-1 this year, including a 1.57 ERA. In comparison, the White Sox are barely on the same planet, let alone the same sport, as the Dodgers. Contact vs. power, both hitting and pitching. Series tied at one game apiece. Onto Los Angeles, with Grandpa and grandson Leo slated to watch game three Monday night while at least one of us eats pizza.