TORONTO -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto stood alone on the mound, his eyes fixed on the plate. Still, for seconds, not even a deep breath. He didn't need a moment to steady before firing a 1-2 fastball up and in that George Springer swung through in the eighth at 96 miles per hour. Nor the fastball to freeze Nathan Lukes , the next batter, on a low and away heater to end the frame. That one was 97 mph. Yamamoto lives wrapped in a meditative calm.

It's defined his postseason. The serenity in his expression. The quiet in his aura. He saves all the chaos for his pitches.

Once again, when he was done, the opponent was quiet. Yamamoto had thrown his second complete game of the postseason in a row. This time in a 5-1 Dodgers win that evened the 2025 World Series against the Blue Jays at 1-1.

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