Jake Bauers’ 12-Pitch Walk Sets Record Against Yoshinobu Yamamoto

In Game 2 of the 2026 National League Championship Series, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto lasted just 2 and 2/3 innings, ending an outing where Milwaukee Brewers hitters forced a heavy pitch count through relentless plate discipline.

How Yamamoto Unraveled Against Milwaukee

Yamamoto entered the postseason matchup carrying a reputation as one of the elite performers in baseball. During Game 2 of the previous year’s NLCS, Yamamoto mystified the Brewers offense by throwing 111 pitches in a complete-game victory, and followed it up less than two months prior by striking out nine batters over six innings in a Dodgers win. Yesterday’s outing starkly contrasted those previous successes. It took Yamamoto 45 pitches just to get through the batting order once. After striking out leadoff hitter Jackson Chourio on three pitches the second time around, the Brewers ground game took over. Brice Turang drew a six-pitch walk, and William Contreras battled through a seven-pitch flyout. That patient approach pushed Yamamoto to 61 pitches before Jake Bauers stepped to the plate in the third inning.

The Record-Breaking Plate Appearance by Jake Bauers

Bauers put together a 12-pitch walk against Yamamoto, setting a major league record for most pitches seen in a single plate appearance against the Dodgers right-hander. Yamamoto alternated between a 91.8-mph splitter, a 96.3-mph fastball, and a 76.9-mph curveball, trying to put the hitter away. Bauers fouled off high-and-tight fastballs, adjusted his timing against sweeping breaking balls, and repeatedly spoiled splitters diving into the dirt. On the 12th pitch—a 79.2-mph curveball that dropped out of the strike zone—Bauers took ball four. One batter later, Christian Yelich laced a single up the middle that knocked Yamamoto out of the game and forced Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to summon his bullpen.

The Strategic Shift by the Brewers Offense

The prolonged at-bat reflected a broader tactical adjustment by Milwaukee. Rather than chasing pitches out of the zone as they had in previous meetings, the Brewers focused on making Yamamoto beat them inside the strike zone. Across 75 total pitches, Yamamoto threw 35 in the zone and 40 out of it, inducing just four swings and misses against 12 called strikes. Out of 14 total batters faced, Yamamoto recorded 11 balls put in play, while 19 of his pitches ended in foul balls—accounting for nearly a quarter of his total workload. That constant contact drove up his pitch count and dismantled a pitching plan that usually generates quick, efficient outs.

More on Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Yoshinobu Yamamoto falters as Dodgers lose to Brewers in NLCS