Winning feels different when your best player is clutching his shoulder in the dirt. On October 26, 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers technically did exactly what they needed to do. They beat the New York Yankees 4-2. They protected home turf. They took a commanding 2-0 lead in the Fall Classic. But if you look at the box score World Series Game 2 from that night, the numbers don't quite capture the collective gasp that sucked the air out of Dodger Stadium in the seventh inning.
It was a weird game. Brilliant, then terrifying, then almost a disaster in the ninth.
The Yamamoto Masterclass Nobody Saw Coming
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the story until he wasn't. After a season plagued by a shoulder injury and a lot of talk about whether he could handle the bright lights of October, he went out and absolutely carved. He went 6.1 innings and gave up exactly one hit. One.
That hit was a solo shot by Juan Soto in the third, which, honestly, is just what Juan Soto does. Outside of that, Yamamoto was untouchable. He threw 85 pitches, 54 for strikes, and looked every bit like the $325 million man the Dodgers broke the bank for. The Yankees' bats looked slow. Aaron Judge was struggling. Giancarlo Stanton was quiet. It was a clinic in North-South pitching that kept the Bronx Bombers off-balance all night.
Breaking Down the Dodgers' Power Surge
The Dodgers didn't dink and dunk their way to four runs. They went for the throat with the long ball. Tommy Edman, the guy who basically turned into a postseason folk hero overnight, started the party in the second inning with a solo blast off Carlos Rodón.
Then came the third inning.
💡 You might also like: NFL Pick 'em Predictions: Why You're Probably Overthinking the Divisional Round
Mookie Betts singled. Teoscar Hernández followed that up by absolutely obliterating a 98-mph heater into the right-field seats. Two-run shot. Before the fans could even sit back down, Freddie Freeman—still hobbling around on a bad ankle that would eventually win him the World Series MVP—went back-to-back. Just like that, it was 4-1 Dodgers.
Rodón didn't even make it through the fourth. He got tagged for six hits and four earned runs in just 3.1 innings. In a short series, that's the kind of start that keeps a manager up at night.
The Moment Everything Changed: Shohei Ohtani's Injury
You've probably seen the replay. Bottom of the seventh, two outs. Shohei Ohtani draws a walk. For most players, you stay put. You're up three runs. But Ohtani is Ohtani, and he decided to test Austin Wells’ arm.
He was out at second. That wasn't the problem. The problem was how he slid. His left hand caught the dirt, his shoulder jolted, and suddenly the most famous baseball player on the planet was face-down. The box score shows a "CS" (caught stealing), but the real stat was a "subluxation" of the left shoulder.
The stadium went silent. You could hear a pin drop in a crowd of over 52,000 people. He walked off with the trainer, holding his arm like it didn't belong to him anymore. It's the kind of moment that makes a 2-0 series lead feel incredibly fragile.
📖 Related: Why the Marlins Won World Series Titles Twice and Then Disappeared
The Ninth Inning Chaos
Baseball is a cruel game. The Dodgers had this in the bag, right? 4-1 lead, bottom of the ninth, Blake Treinen on the mound.
Then the Yankees remembered they were the Yankees.
Soto singles. Stanton rips a ball off the third-base bag for an RBI single. Suddenly it’s 4-2. Chisholm singles. Rizzo gets hit by a pitch. Bases loaded. One out. The tying run is on second, the winning run is on first, and the "Ghost of Game 1" is hovering over the stadium.
Dave Roberts had to pull Treinen. He brought in Anthony Banda, then eventually Alex Vesia to face Jose Trevino. On the very first pitch Vesia threw, Trevino flew out to center. Game over. Dodgers win. But man, it was way closer than the box score makes it look.
Key Statistics from the Box Score World Series Game 2
If you're looking for the hard data to settle a debate, here’s the meat of it:
👉 See also: Why Funny Fantasy Football Names Actually Win Leagues
New York Yankees (2)
- Hits: 4
- Runs: 2
- Errors: 0
- Left on Base: 6
- Top Performer: Juan Soto (2-for-4, HR, 2 Runs)
Los Angeles Dodgers (4)
- Hits: 8
- Runs: 4
- Errors: 0
- Left on Base: 4
- Winning Pitcher: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (W, 1-0)
- Saving Pitcher: Alex Vesia (S, 1)
Why This Game Mattered for the Series
Teams that go up 2-0 in a best-of-seven series win about 80% of the time. The Dodgers left Los Angeles in a great position, but the Ohtani injury loomed over the flight to New York. We know now that he played through it, but at the time, nobody knew if he’d even be able to swing a bat.
Yamamoto’s performance was also a massive proof-of-concept. It proved the Dodgers didn't just have a "bullpen game" strategy; they had a legitimate ace who could shut down an elite lineup.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
When you're analyzing this specific game, don't just look at the final score. Look at the pitch counts in the third inning. Rodón’s inability to locate his secondary pitches led directly to those back-to-back homers.
If you're researching the 2024 postseason, pay attention to the "Leverage Index" in the ninth inning of this game. It was one of the highest-pressure moments of the entire series. For those looking to understand the Dodgers' championship run, Game 2 is the perfect example of their "Next Man Up" philosophy—Edman and Hernández carrying the load while the superstars were either struggling or hurt.
Check the official MLB film archives for the overhead view of Ohtani’s slide if you want to see exactly how the injury happened; it's a textbook case of why "pop-up" slides can be dangerous when the hand isn't tucked.