MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 25, 2025

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Rogers Centre

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Los Angeles Dodgers - 5, Toronto Blue Jays - 1

Q. It's been 10 years since the last complete game in a World Series. How much pride do you take in going deeper in the games, knowing that it's something that rarely happens in this era?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: To be honest, I was not thinking I can complete the game because my pitch count racked up kind of quickly. But I'm very happy I completed the game.

Q. You referenced that first inning. Obviously, you were in a bit of trouble. Your pitch count got up. How did you kind of go from that to being as efficient as you were the rest of the game?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: I just adjusted as the game moved on after the whole first inning because it was two runners on bases. But because I just like to reset my mind.

Then the inning I gave up a run, it started by hit by pitch, and I also just reset my mind. And after I gave up the run, but that was still just a tie, so I just kept going.

Q. I know you write in your journal during starts usually. You were writing a little bit more often tonight. Was there something different that you were trying to do?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: I use that every game, and it's more like strategic notes, and I use that to check in between innings.

Q. After the big loss last night, how did you prepare yourself to get into this game?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: Yeah, as you said, that's a big loss, and then needless to say today's game, we had to win. So that's just how I treated this game.

Q. At what point in the game did you think, okay, I can complete today's game? And then at the end of the 8th inning, the pitch count was 93, and then did you talk if you were going to the 9th inning or not with the coaches?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: At the end of the 5th inning, I believe the pitch count was 71. So at the point I was still trying to take it one inning at a time. If I was going to the 9th inning or not, we didn't really talk about it.

Q. I think you were way over this lineup. They don't really strikeout. How did you navigate? Because if they don't strikeout and getting contact, how did you navigate this game?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: My pitching style is just keep attacking the zone. So every pitch I throw, I focus on getting to the strike zone. So there's not much adjustment in the game.

Q. Early in the game, the first half of the game, you were throwing a lot of splitters. Is that because you were feeling good with the splitter, or just because you prepared for that going into the game?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: Going into the game, the pregame bullpen, I was feeling really good with the splitter. And then I cannot go into the detail about the pitch sequence or any of the game planning, but I think also I got into trouble the first inning, so I was trying to get out of the inning. That's why I used many splitters.

Q. You know how rare it is for people to pitch complete games in the majors. You just did it back-to-back starts in the playoffs. Do you appreciate how hard it is, how difficult it is to do what you just did?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: I'm very happy and proud of the fact that I was able to bring a big contribution and give a chance for the team to win.

Q. Coming to the Dodgers with such a pitching history, did you know about the history of people like Koufax and Hershiser throwing complete games in the World Series? And do you find it surprising that you did something just like they did?

YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO: To be honest, I'm not sure about the history, but I'm very happy about what I did today.