TORONTO — Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a complete-game gem, Will Smith and Max Muncy homered and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Saturday night to knot the World Series at a game apiece.
Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will be played Monday at Los Angeles.
Yamamoto (3-1) allowed one run, four hits and no walks while striking out eight. With the game tied 1-1 in the seventh, Smith (three RBIs) and Muncy each hit solo homers.
Los Angeles opened the scoring in the first inning against Kevin Gausman (2-2). Freddie Freeman ripped a two-out double into the right field corner and scored on Smith’s single to center.
The Blue Jays threatened in the bottom of the inning when George Springer led off with a double and Nathan Lukes singled. Yamamoto escaped the jam with two strikeouts and a lineout.
Toronto tied it in the third. Springer was hit by a pitch to open the inning. He took third on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s one-out single to deep left and scored on Alejandro Kirk’s sacrifice fly to center.
Game 2 settled into a pitchers’ duel.
Gausman retired 17 in a row until Smith smashed a 3-2 fastball to left with one out in the seventh for his first home run of the postseason. With two outs, Muncy hit his second homer of the postseason, a blast to left on a 2-2 fastball.
Louis Varland replaced Gausman, who allowed three runs, four hits and no walks while striking out six in 6 2/3 innings.
Varland gave up one-out singles to Andy Pages and Shohei Ohtani in the eighth. Mookie Betts walked to load the bases and Jeff Hoffman took over from Varland. Hoffman’s wild pitch scored Pages. Freeman was intentionally walked to load the bases again. Toronto could not complete the double play on Smith’s fielder’s-choice grounder to shortstop and another run scored.
Yamamoto struck out the side in the eighth and pitched a perfect ninth to complete his 105-pitch effort, retiring the last 20 batters he faced.
–Larry Millson, Field Level Media
