The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers hope to bounce back in Game 2 of the Fall Classic after weathering a severe 11-4 shellacking from the Toronto Blue Jays, which included a nine-run explosion from the home team in the sixth inning.
Toronto’s nine runs last night marked the third-most in a single inning in World Series history.
- The winner of the second game of the World Series has gone on to win the Fall Classic 78 times (65.0%), which has been the case in 18 of the last 27 and 25 of the last 37 World Series beginning in 1987.
- In three of the last five years, the World Series winner has lost Game 2, including Texas in 2023 (9-1 vs. AZ); Atlanta in 2021 (7-2 at HOU); and Los Angeles in 2020 (6-4 vs. TB).
- Prior to the Dodgers losing in 2020, the winner of Game 2 had won the World Series in five consecutive years dating back to the 2015 Royals.
- Overall, the winner of Game 2 of a Postseason series has gone on to win the series 271 times (70.6%).
- Among the 57 teams to hold a 2-0 advantage in the World Series, 46 have gone on to win the World Series.
- The World Series has been tied at 1-1 63 times, with the winner of Game 3 going on to win the Fall Classic 42 times (66.7%).
- The Dodgers are 33-28 all-time in Game 2 of a Postseason Series, including 17-16 in Game 2 of a best-of-seven series overall, and 11-11 in Game 2 of the World Series.
- The Blue Jays are 7-9 all-time in Game 2 of a Postseason series, including 5-5 in Game 2 of a best-of-seven series overall, and 1-1 in Game 2 of the Fall Classic.
- The home team has won the World Series opener 72 of 121 times (59.5%), and has taken a 2-0 lead in the Fall Classic 41 times, going on to win the series 34 times (82.9%), including each of the last 17 instances.
- The World Series has been won by the team with home field advantage 60 times (50.0%), including each of the last three seasons with the Dodgers in 2024, the Rangers in 2023 and the Astros in 2022.
- The Dodgers are the first reigning World Series Champion to return to the World Series since the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies and is seeking to be the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees.
- Toronto and Los Angeles have met 30 times in the regular season, with the Dodgers winning their first matchup, 2-1, on June 18, 2002.
- Since MLB introduced its balanced schedule in 2023, the Blue Jays are 5-4 over the Dodgers, winning four of the last six matchups by taking two games of both three-game series in 2024 and 2025.
- The Dodgers are 10-5 at the Rogers Centre in the regular season.
- Los Angeles leads the overall head-to-head, outdoing Toronto with a 19-11 record since 2002.
- Taking the mound for the Dodgers is Yoshinobu Yamamoto who has made three starts this postseason, allowing four runs on 13 hits with four walks and 18 strikeouts.
- Yamamoto earned the win in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series against Cincinnati, and fired a complete game against Milwaukee in the NLCS.
- He has not faced the Blue Jays in his career.
- Yamamoto sports a 9-4 record while pitching on the road.
- In 18 starts away from Dodger Stadium, Yamamoto is pitching a 2.13 ERA with 32 walks, 118 strikeouts and a 0.890 WHIP through 105.2 innings pitched.
- Opponents are hitting .205/.282/.321 against Yamamoto during home starts and .168/.240/.257 during road starts.
- Yamamoto started 19 games in the first half of the season, going 8-7 with a 2.59 ERA.
- He went 4-1 with a 2.34 in his 11 starts in the second half of the season.
- With his start tonight, Yamamoto will join Yu Darvish as the only Japanese-born pitchers to make multiple starts in the World Series.
- Yamamoto previously pitched Game 2 of the 2024 World Series.
- He will become the only Japanese-born pitcher to make a start in multiple World Series.
- Yamamoto in Game 2 of the NLCS, allowed a run on three hits with a walk and seven strikeouts in his first career complete game (regular season or Postseason), marking the first complete game in the Postseason since Justin Verlander for the Astros in Game 2 of the 2017 ALCS.
- Kevin Gausman starts for Toronto in Game 2.
- Gausman has made three starts and one relief appearance this Postseason, allowing four runs on 10 hits with nine walks and 12 strikeouts over 18.0 innings.
- Gausman started Game 1 of the ALDS against the Yankees, Games 1 and 5 of the ALCS and appeared in relief in Game 7 against the Mariners.
- He will face Los Angeles for the 13th time in his career and the first time this year.
- Gausman has faced them as a member of the Orioles, Braves, Giants and Blue Jays.
- He went 5-5 in 16 starts at Rogers Centre this year, pitching to a 3.86 ERA.
- Gausman began his 13th Major League season on the mound on Opening Day for the Blue Jays. He pitched 193.0 innings across 32 starts, going 10-11 with a 3.59 ERA, the most innings he has posted in a season in his career.
- Gausman’s 322 career starts prior to making his World Series debut are third-most among active pitchers without a Fall Classic start.
- Gausman will become the first player born in Colorado to make a World Series start.
- He is just the fifth player born in Colorado to pitch in the World Series joining Hall of Famer Goose Gossage (8 G); Tippy Martinez (6 G); Luke Hochevar (4 G); and Dave LaRoche (1 G).
- With a single in the second inning last night, Ernie Clement extended his hitting streak to seven games, tying him with Joe Carter.
- Freddie Freeman has reached base safely in each of the Dodgers’ 11 games this Postseason, marking the longest on base streak of any player in the Majors this October.
Compiled by Bill Lucey
Source: MLB Press Office
October 25, 2025
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