The Los Angeles Dodgers snatched Game 1 of the 2024 World Series in walk-off fashion, capping off a night that began with Jack Flaherty going toe-to-toe with New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
Flaherty went into the night with the expectation — and pressure — of keeping a power-hitting Yankees at bay, and he did so for the vast majority of his outing. After registering 19 whiffs throughout the start, Flaherty’s final offering was deposited into the left-field pavilion by Giancarlo Stanton.
Overall, Flaherty turned in a stellar start as he focused on each moment amid a strong crowd at Dodger Stadium.
“Just one pitch at a time. It was an incredible atmosphere, unbelievable setting. That dude over there, he’s a stud. It’s just one pitch at a time,” he said.
“Make a mistake, and Giancarlo puts a good swing on the ball, which is what he’s done all postseason and throughout his entire career. So you’d like that one back, but you’ve got to go out and get ready for the next one. So it was good. Adjustments were made, and now we’ve got to go make a couple more and just review today and go over it, take the good, and then just pitch by pitch on the next one.”
Flaherty noted that pitching in front of his hometown fans was a big factor, even before the first pitch of the night was thrown. With an announced attendance of 52,394, it marked the seventh sellout of the postseason for the Dodgers.
“Walking out was incredible, even just to the bullpen, feeling the city behind you. That’s what this city does,” Flaherty added. “They’re going to be there. They’re going to show up. They’re going to be loud. They’re going to be into the game. They were there, they were loud all night.
“That was as good as it gets. But we’re going to need some more of it. We’re going to meet again tomorrow, and if we end up coming back, we’re going to need it again. This city is incredible. The fans were incredible, and we’re going to need more of it just because that’s a really good team over there and we’re going to need everything we’ve got.”
Jack Flaherty handled Aaron Judge
For the third time this postseason, Yankees All-Star Aaron Judge was struck out three times in a game. Flaherty was able to get him swinging on each of his three main pitches, with the final coming in the top of the sixth with a runner on first base.
“It was great,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I think obviously he used the breaking ball, and that 3-2 strikeout with the fastball was a big strikeout right there. Aaron is an MVP. He’s going to win it this year, and you’ve got to be careful.
“Even when we went to walk Soto to get to Judge, that never feels good. You’ve got to be careful. You’ve got to be careful of those guys. If they make a mistake, they’re going to make you pay. Yeah, Jack pitched him really well tonight.”
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