Dodgers 9, Mets 0 – NLCS Game 1: Jack Flaherty delivers 7 shutout as the lineup puts together a complete effort

Chad Moriyama 10/13/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

Aside from the Mets themselves, perhaps the biggest challenge for the Dodgers coming into Game 1 was to not repeat 2021 and put the NLDS win over the Padres in a rearview and coming out just as focused for the NLCS.

Things started off well, as the Dodgers jumped out to an early lead in the 1st, continued to build upon it as the game went on, and they were given time to do so by Jack Flaherty‘s best start as a Dodger that came at the right time.

They blew things open late as it became a blowout in a 9-0 shutout victory over the Mets.

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Coming back from injury, Kodai Senga started Game 1 for the Mets against the Phillies as essentially an opener, throwing just 31 pitches over two innings. He was relatively effective in that outing, but thankfully he struggled today.

After Senga got Ohtani, he walked back-to-back-to-back batters in Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernandez. Unfortunately, Will Smith popped out on the first pitch (insane decision) to put the rally on the brink, but Max Muncy came up huge with a single up the middle to drive in Betts and a limping Freeman for a 2-0 lead.

After a wild pitch, two were in scoring position for Enrique Hernandez, but Senga got him to hit a comebacker to end the threat.

In the 2nd, Senga continued to struggle, walking Gavin Lux on five pitches. After a ball to Tommy Edman, he laid down a sacrifice bunt, though it felt like it was a good chance to take a few considering his struggles. Regardless, it ended up working, as Ohtani hit a ball hard right into the ground for a single to make it 3-0.

That was the end of the road for Senga, as Reed Garrett entered and got a lineout before Francisco Alvarez threw out Ohtani on a steal attempt (his first in forever).

Garrett then gave up a single in the 3rd to start, but got a pair of outs before giving way to David Peterson, who got a strikeout to end the frame. He continued in the 4th, and in a potentially good sign for the rest of the series, the Dodgers got to him. Enrique Hernandez singled, Gavin Lux struggles against lefties so he laid down a bunt, and then Edman smacked a single to score Enrique and make it 4-0. It didn’t say that way for long as Ohtani got on track and smashed a ball off the wall in right for a “single” to score Edman and advanced to second on an “error” that made it 5-0. After a Mookie groundout, Freddie came through on one ankle, singling home Ohtani to make it 6-0.

Peterson was able to work around a lead-off walk in the 5th to end his outing, but it was a positive sign for the bats.

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Thankfully, there were no updates on the other side because nothing was happening.

In his playoff debut for the Dodgers, Jack Flaherty was mediocre and got into emotional confrontations with Manny Machado. Today he was in control of everything, cruising through the first nine batters by setting them all down.

Things weren’t as easy in the 4th, as he issued a four-pitch walk to start. He rebounded with a pair of outs, but then issued another walk to put a pair on. Thankfully, Starling Marte just missed one on a deep flyout to right to end that threat.

Flaherty then got bailed out a bit in the 5th, as he gave up back-to-back singles to Jesse Winker and Jose Iglesias, but for whatever reason Winker didn’t keep going to third on the play and Enrique deke’d him by throwing behind and they got a gift of an out.

What looked like a potentially rally for the Mets disintegrated in just two more pitches as back-to-back flyouts ended the frame. That got Jack back on track, as he followed with a 10-pitch 6th that ended with a Teoscar catch.

Flaherty put the cherry on top with an 12-pitch clean inning in the 7th, helped by Kevin Kiermaier making a nice play after being subbed in for defense.

Dave Roberts is having the career year in the payoffs so far.

They desperately needed Flaherty to go deep for the best Game 2 situation, and he did exactly that and then some: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 98 Pitches.

After Peterson exited following the 5th, it was Danny Young for the Mets pen in the 6th, getting a clean 11-pitch inning. He continued in the 7th, getting an out and issuing a walk before Jose Butto entered, and got the last two outs on eight pitches.

Butto continued in the 8th and labored. Again it was Enrique that started things with a single, then Kiermaier got on base via a Pete Alonso throwing error. After Edman lined out, Ohtani walked on four straight balls to load things up, then Mookie unloaded them with a double down the line in left for a 9-0 lead.

Chris Taylor continued to struggle with a groundout and Teoscar then struck out to close the book on the bats.

More than enough.

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For the Dodgers, the pen needed just two innings, and Daniel Hudson got into some trouble to start the 8th. He started with a walk to Iglesias, gave up a lineout, and then a single to Alvarez. However, he settled in against the top of the order with a lineout and strikeout.

To close things out with a big lead was Ben Casparius making his playoff debut. He got a pair of pop-outs and then a strikeout to close the door.

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Having some fun today.

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The NLCS is now 1-0 Dodgers. Great start but just one game.

Due to the ALCS starting on tomorrow and Monday Night Football existing, the next game of the series will be played at 10:08 AM/1:08 PM PT/4:08 PM ET on a Monday, broadcast on FOX and FS1. It’ll be against Sean Manaea, who the Dodgers have hit well over his career but he’s taken a step forward for the Mets and figures to be one of their biggest tests of the series. Given Flaherty’s outing, it figures to be a pen game with Landon Knack heavily featuring.

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