LOS ANGELES – Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been looking for something.

Since returning to the Dodgers on September 10 after going on the injured list due to a right rotator cuff strain, it has been a mixed bag. The right-hander has had some good starts, some bad starts and some starts in between. As October began, the team remained hopeful he would return to form as the postseason progressed. But going into Game 2 of the World Series, the question for the Dodgers was which version of Yamamoto would they get?

When he handed the ball to Dave Roberts on Saturday night and walked off the mound in the seventh inning to a thunderous standing ovation from the 52,725 fans at Dodger Stadium, he had answered that question.

The best version.

“Yamamoto, he was made for those moments,” said Teoscar Hernández, who homered in the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory in Game 2. “He did it in Japan before he came here, and as soon as he got here, he did it here .”

Saturday was Yamamoto’s first time pitching in the World Series, but against the Yankees, who were finalists to sign him last winter, he looked like a seasoned vet. For a man who has been considered a top prospect since he was 18 and has pitched on the world stage for Team Japan, perhaps looking good in big moments is in his DNA.

“It was a mixed feeling during the match,” Yamamoto said afterwards. “Because I was really looking forward to it and was happy. After I felt that, I started to concentrate.”

The Yankees battled the Dodgers’ rookie in the first inning, throwing at-bats and making him throw extra pitches. After rolling 21 in the first frame, it looked like it would be a short night for Yamamoto.

But what separated his Game 2 performance from other starts he’s made since returning from injury was the way he got into a rhythm. In October, Yamamoto worked efficiently for the first time and made quick outs.

“I gave up a home run (to Juan Soto) and let them tie the game,” he said, referring to the only hit he gave up. “(But) I got run support and I was able to keep them at zero after that inning.”

In his previous start against the Mets in NLCS Game 4, Yamamoto had his strikeout stuff working, striking out eight in the game. But he wasn’t efficient, getting through only 4 1/3 innings.

Against the Yankees, he managed to put it all together and, after Soto’s solo homer in the third inning, hang on. From that point on, Yamamoto put the Yankees down without much effort. He retired the last 11 batters he faced, and after those first 21 pitches, he threw 64 pitches over his final 5 1/3 innings.

The Japanese star closed the game after pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit, with two walks and four strikeouts. It was the first time he had pitched into the seventh inning since, coincidentally enough, he faced the Yankees in June.

“Watching him throw the baseball, there wasn’t a lot of stress in the game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He hasn’t been in the seventh inning since that Yankee game. (But) I felt like – I think he threw 76 pitches, so I felt like I was building – we had a good building block foundation.

Yamamoto’s ability to stretch into the seventh inning bodes well for him and the bullpen going forward, but perhaps more importantly, he looks as confident and healthy as he has all season.

“By the time I came off the IL, I was pretty much close to where I was before,” Yamamoto said. “After that, after I started throwing in games, I think I got better.”

Hernández added: “Earlier today I told him it was going to be a good night for him.”

When the Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a record-setting 12-year, $325 million contract last offseason, they weren’t signing an unknown commodity. They signed a player who has been one of the best starting pitchers in the world since he was a teenager. When the season started, the Dodgers and the rest of the MLB saw that.

And while it took some time for Yamamoto to rediscover that form after his injury, when the Dodgers needed him most, he has shown up and done his best.

“The team gave this kid so much money not because … this isn’t the design. It’s not that he expects to be great; he is great,” said Kiké Hernández during the NLDS. “… that’s who he is. And we are not surprised at all.”

“When he goes out there and executes, it’s really good stuff,” catcher Will Smith said.

The Dodgers now have a commanding 2-0 lead in the World Series heading into their first game in the Bronx on Monday. One of the first trends for LA was their pitching showing up in a big way. Jack Flaherty and Yamamoto have combined to throw 11 2/3 innings in the team’s two wins, while allowing just three runs on two homers. Not having to dive deep into the bullpen early could yield huge profits quickly.

With no days off between Games 3, 4 and 5 in New York and another bullpen game looming for the Dodgers, having a rested relief corps is a huge advantage as they try to take on the Yankees with their backs against hold the wall.