Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets chased early by the Brewers in a rare postseason dud

Yoshinobu Yamamoto finally flopped in a playoff game, and now the Los Angeles Dodgers are heading back home with their bid for a third straight championship in serious jeopardy.Yamamoto lasted just 2 2/3 innings for his shortest postseason start as the Dodgers lost 7-4 to Milwaukee on Monday to fall behind 2-0 in the National League Championship Series. The Brewers continually fouled off pitches and drove up Yamamoto’s pitch count before knocking him out of the game.“I don’t know the exact reason yet,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter. “I need to check the videos and then I can reflect on what happened today.”It was quite a departure for a pitcher who was virtually unhittable last October.Yamamoto, the 2025 World Series MVP, entered 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 career postseason appearances. In Game 2 of the Dodgers’ NLCS sweep of Milwaukee last season, Yamamoto threw a three-hitter and pitched the first playoff complete game since Houston’s Justin Verlander threw one in 2017.In three