Flaherty helps LA offset scoreless playoff innings in G1 loss to the Mets

LOS ANGELES – Jack Flaherty combined a three-hitter and Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers tied the postseason record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings by defeating the New York Mets 9-0 in the opening game of the NL Championship Series on Sunday night.

Los Angeles struck out a wild Kodai Senga in the second inning, built a six-run lead in the fourth inning, and tied the scoreless record set by Baltimore Orioles pitchers in the first four games of the 1966 World Series against the Dodgers.

Supported by “MVP! MVP!” shouts, Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a walk, scored two runs and drove in another.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Monday.

Flaherty allowed two hits over seven innings in the Dodgers' first scoreless postseason start of more than seven innings since Clayton Kershaw's eight innings in the 2020 NL Wild Card Series.

The sellout crowd of 53,503 gave Flaherty a standing ovation as he left. The 28-year-old right-hander from nearby Burbank returned home from Detroit at the July 30 trade deadline and was an integral part of a rotation hit hard by injuries.

Flaherty retired his first nine batters, extending the Dodgers' streak of consecutive hitters retired to 28, before leading off the fourth by Francisco Lindor. New York's only hits against him were two singles by Jesse Winker and Jose Iglesias in the fifth. Flaherty struck out six.

According to ESPN Research, the Dodgers are the third team ever to post three straight postseason shutouts. The other two teams (the Orioles in 1966 and the Giants in 1905) made no pitching changes; the Dodgers made 13.

Lindor was 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout and Pete Alonso was hitless with a walk and a strikeout in three at-bats.

The Dodgers battled close to elimination against San Diego and won the NL Division Series in five games, with shutouts in the final two games.

They opened their quest for a record 25th. NL pennant by chasing Senga after 1⅓ innings, in just his third overall start in a year decimated by injuries.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.