The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t show any signs of an emotional letdown in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series as they cruised to a 9-0 win over the New York Mets.
In just his third start of the year, Kodai Senga labored before getting chased with one out in the second inning. Senga walked four of the first eight batters faced and allowed the Dodgers to take a 2-0 lead on Max Muncy’s RBI single with two outs in the first inning.
Shohei Ohtani’s RBI base hit off Senga prompted the Mets to go to their bullpen earlier than anticipated. The Dodgers didn’t add onto their lead in the second inning as Ohtani was thrown out trying to steal second base.
It represented the first time Ohtani had been caught stealing since July 22, snapping a streak of 36 successful attempts.
Freddie Freeman went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one walk as he continues to push through a significant right ankle sprain.
As the Dodgers took an early lead and expanded on it, Jack Flaherty put together an impressive outing. The Mets didn’t have a baserunner until Francisco Lindor drew a leadoff walk in fourth inning. It ended a streak of Dodgers pitchers retiring 28 batters in a row.
Flaherty later issued a second walk in the inning, but stranded both runners. Jesse Winker’s leadoff single in the fifth inning was the Mets’ first hit.
Flaherty got through seven scoreless innings and finished with six strikeouts. The performance sets the Dodgers up for a likely bullpen game on Monday, pushing Walker Buehler back to start Game 3 at Citi Field.
Flaherty joined Tarik Skubal (twice), Zack Wheeler, Jose Quintana, Michael King and Cole Ragans as the only pitchers to have a start of at last six shutout innings this postseason.
Dodgers postseason record
Through the sixth, Dodgers set a National League record and became the third team in MLB history to toss 30 consecutive scoreless innings in a single postseason, joining the 1966 Baltimore Orioles (33 innings) and 1974 Oakland Athletics (30).
The Dodgers extended their NL record and matched the all-time mark by finishing off a shutout of the Mets.
Ironically, the Orioles’ record was set against the Dodgers during the 1966 World Series.
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