Seigyo funō
The Dodgers are halfway there with a 2-0 lead in the World Series.
In the batter’s box, Aaron Judge, an MVP winner — we can discuss that later, but he’s the front-runner to win the American League MVP this year — is the leader in WAR (10.8), home runs (58), RBIs (144), walks (133), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.701), OPS (1.159), OPS-plus (223) and intentional walks (20) this year in the majors. Judge hasn’t had a night that lives up to his pedigree. He’s missed half of his eight swings. When he stepped up to the plate for this at-bat in the top of the sixth inning with two outs, he was 1-for-7 with four strikeouts in his World Series debut against Dodgers pitchers.
Either way, Judge remains one of the best hitters on Planet Earth. He’s “The Judge” of baseball. And when he's at the plate, any pitcher can be about to be judged by his bat. In front of him, there's a Japanese superstar about to start his windup, the talented right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto, 26, was born in Bizen, Okayama, and right now he's one of the best pitchers in the universe. He's a three-time Sawamura Award winner in Nippon Pro Baseball, an Olympic gold medalist and a World Baseball Classic winner with the Japanese national team. His pitches often make Major League hitters look like baseball apprentices.
They are two of the biggest stars we can see among the most talented players who are making the 2024 World Series one of the greatest moments in baseball history. Now, only one of them can win the duel this time. Yamamoto was down 2-1 in the count, but Judge missed a curveball that spun up the middle and ended up outside the strike zone. The count rose to 2-2. Yamamoto is right where he wanted to be: competing against the best hitters of his time… displaying his greatness in front of one of the best fan bases in baseball at a World Series. Isn’t that the moment any baseball pitcher wants to be in?
Judge is 0-for-2 tonight. Both times Yamamoto got him to two strikes, then came back again and again with his slider. Now, Yamamoto barely moves on the mound and seems convinced that his main pitch will finish the sixth inning. Judge seems to be doing enough to find focus and is settling into the batter's box. He knows he needs a good swing here and now. Yankees manager Aaron Boone is staring at his superstar hitter, and seems hopeful that Judge will get out of his slump as soon as the next pitch. The crowd at Dodger Stadium is calling for a strikeout. Everyone is hanging on the next pitch. Although, many know that even if Judge's swing finds it, the Yankees wouldn't be able to do much.
The Dodgers are winning the game 4-1, and they have the bullpen ready to defend that lead. After 43 years, the Dodgers are 10 outs away from winning Game 2 and opening up a 2-0 lead in the World Series against the New York Yankees. Yamamoto is ready for his next pitch, and there is no stopping him. He throws a sharp splitter, which penetrated the inside zone and disappeared as if by magic. Judge is watching the pitch approaching, and he can't help but want to hit it in anger. However, his swing crossed the plate again without being able to make contact with the ball. Yamamoto's splitter slipped just enough to escape one of the most forceful swings in baseball.
Swing and miss! Strikeout! The crowd at Dodger Stadium roared with excitement!
Yamamoto roared on the mound, celebrating his 18th out of the game. Now more than ever, many remember when the Dodgers offered him a $325 million, 12-year contract trusting in his talent. Yamamoto's contract was the longest and most lucrative for a pitcher in major league history. Judge walked away from the batter's box, head down, watching the Yankees collapse again as a string of 10 straight outs continued. Judge didn't even make it to the dugout. Just steps from home plate, he was dropping all of his gear, starting with his elbow pad and his bat.
Since Juan Soto's solo homer tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the third inning, the Yankees had not reached base. Ultimately, Yamamoto's streak ended with 11 straight outs after he struck out Giancarlo Stanton in the top of the seventh. That was the last batter the Japanese ace faced during his 6 ⅓-inning start on Saturday night.