LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers took a 2-0 stranglehold on the World Series after defeating the New York Yankees on Saturday but a worrying injury to Japanese star Shohei Ohtani took the shine off the 4-2 victory.
Home runs from Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman and a clinical pitching performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto laid the foundations for the win at Dodger Stadium which leaves the Dodgers in a commanding position heading into game three of the best-of-seven series on Monday.
But the post-game celebrations were muted by the injury suffered by Ohtani in the seventh inning as he attempted to steal second base.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani had suffered a “little left shoulder subluxation” — defined by the US National Institutes of Health as a partial or incomplete dislocation — and said Ohtani would undergo an MRI scan to determine the severity of the injury.
“We’re going to get some tests at some point tonight, tomorrow, and then we’ll know more in the next couple days,” Roberts said.
However Roberts said team medical staff were “encouraged” by Ohtani’s range of motion and strength, and said he expected the Japanese leadoff hitter to feature again in the series.
“I’m expecting him to be there. I’m expecting him to be in the lineup,” Roberts replied when asked if the Dodgers were equipped to play without Ohtani.
Any serious injury to Ohtani would be a devastating blow for the Dodgers, who signed the two-way star from the Los Angeles Angels last December on a record $700-million-dollar, 10-year deal.
“He’s the best player in the game, and to see him on the ground in pain, it’s not a good feeling for sure,” Dodgers utility man Edman said. “But we’re hopeful he recovers quickly.”
The Dodgers had followed up Friday’s extra-innings thriller with a controlled performance to subdue the Yankees.
Dodgers starter Yamamoto dominated the Yankees’ vaunted batting line-up, allowing just one hit through 6.1 innings.
The victory means the Dodgers will travel to New York with both momentum and history on their side.
In the history of Major League Baseball, teams that win the first two games of a best-of-seven postseason series have prevailed 77 times out of the 92 times it has occurred.
“No one said it’s going to be easy,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s a long series, and we need to make it a long series now. We won’t flinch. We’ve just got to keep at it.”