The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series but suffered an injury blow to Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The Dodgers completed the weekend double on home soil before heading to New York as the Yankees were unable to score more than one run as they loaded the bases in the ninth inning.
Ohtani, who is favourite to be named the National League MVP after hitting 54 home runs in his first season with the Dodgers after moving from the Los Angeles Angels, left the game after injuring his left arm as he slid into second base in the seventh inning.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he had partially dislocated his left shoulder.
Halfway home! The @Dodgers are TWO wins away from a #WorldSeries title. pic.twitter.com/27aQR5YWRv
— MLB (@MLB) October 27, 2024
Freddie Freeman hit a home run for the second successive night, a day after becoming the first person to hit a walk-off grand slam in the World Series to end game one.
He has homered in four straight World Series games stretching back to the last two of Atlanta’s win over Houston in 2021.
Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez also hit home runs as the Dodgers opened a 4-1 lead in the third inning, Juan Soto responding with a home run of his own.
Soto’s home run was the only hit allowed by Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the only one the Yankees managed until the ninth inning.
Soto finally ended that run and cut the deficit when Giancarlo Stanton added another off the third base bag.
Jazz Chisholm Jr singled and Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, but the Yankees were unable to force in any more runs.
The best-of-seven series moves to Yankee Stadium with game three on Monday night.
