October 13, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani (17) hits an RBI single against New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) in the second inning during game one of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium.
12:55 JST, October 14, 2024
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jack Flaherty combined for a three-hitter and Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers tied the postseason record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings by putting the New York Mets ahead 9-0 on Sunday night in the NL Championship Series opener.
Los Angeles retired a wild Kodai Senga in the second inning, built a six-run lead in the fourth and tied the scoreless record of Baltimore Orioles pitchers through the first four games of the 1966 World Series against the Dodgers.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is caught stealing by New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor during the second inning in Game 1 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Backed by chants of “MVP! MVP!”, Shohei Ohtani was 2 for 4 with a walk while scoring two runs and driving in another.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Monday.
Flaherty allowed two hits in seven innings in the Dodgers’ first scoreless postseason start of seven-plus innings since Clayton Kershaw’s eight innings in the 2020 NL Wild Card Series.
Flaherty left to a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd of 53,503. The 28-year-old right-hander from nearby Burbank returned from Detroit at the July 30 trade deadline and has been a steady presence in a rotation hit hard by injuries.
Flaherty retired his first nine batters, extending the Dodgers streak of consecutive batters to 28, before Francisco Lindor walked a fourth inning. New York’s only hits off him were a pair of singles by Jesse Winker and Jose Iglesias in the fifth. Flaherty struck out six.
Lindor went 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout and Pete Alonso went hitless in three at bats with a walk and a strikeout.
The Dodgers rallied from the brink of elimination against San Diego to win the NL Division Series in five games with shutouts in the final two games.
They opened their pursuit of a record 25th NL pennant by chasing Senga after 1 1/3 innings of his only third overall start in a year decimated by injuries.
