LOS ANGELES — A makeshift pitching staff that was supposed to spell doom for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series hopes has instead made playoff history.
Jack Flaherty went seven scoreless innings, Shohei Ohtani had two hits and scored twice and Los Angeles rolled to a 9-0 victory over the New York Mets in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday.
Daniel Hudson and Ben Casparius each pitched an inning for the Dodgers, who extended their scoreless streak to 33 innings to tie a record for a single postseason. Los Angeles has not allowed a run since the second inning of Game 3 of the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres.
Injuries among the Los Angeles starting staff have been so pronounced that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was forced into a bullpen game in Game 4 of the NLDS, with the season on the line, yet eight pitchers combined to spin a shutout.
Los Angeles could opt to go with another bullpen game when it collides with the Mets again on Monday.
“I’m looking forward to watching these guys (pitch) tomorrow and watching until I get to take the ball again,” Flaherty said. “It’s a really good team over there, and we had a good Game 1, but we’ve got to come back tomorrow and keep our foot on the pedal. Not let up at all.”
Mookie Betts had a three-run double, Max Muncy had a two-run single and Freddie Freeman had two hits and an RBI while playing on a sprained right ankle as the Dodgers won their fifth consecutive game against the Mets going back to the regular season.
Flaherty (1-1) gave up two hits to go along with two walks and six strikeouts.
“It was just a pitching clinic,” Roberts said of Flaherty. “I thought he did a great job of filling up the strike zone with his complete mix. Used his fastball when he needed to. Just minimized damage. … And for us to get seven innings in a long series was huge.”
Right-hander Kodai Senga (0-1) gave up three runs on two hits and four walks and lasted just 1 1/3 innings for the Mets, who lost an opener for the first time in three series this postseason.
“Obviously I’m frustrated and disappointed, but I have to keep making adjustments,” Senga said through an interpreter while admitting that he was struggling with his pitching mechanics from the outset. “The team has a game tomorrow, so we just have to keep winning games.”
New York had just three hits, all singles.
The Dodgers turned three consecutive walks in the first inning into two runs on Muncy’s single before taking advantage of Senga’s generosity again in the second inning. Gavin Lux walked to lead off the frame and scored on a single by Ohtani for a 3-0 lead.
Ohtani was then thrown out by Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez while trying to steal second base, ending his streak of 36 consecutive successful attempts.
The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning when Enrique Hernandez singled and scored on a Tommy Edman single. Ohtani followed with a single off the right field wall for a 5-0 advantage, with Edman scoring on the play after right fielder Starling Marte bobbled the ball. Freeman made it 6-0 with a run-scoring single to left.
Flaherty did not allow a hit until the Mets’ Jesse Winker opened the fifth with a single. Winker was later thrown out on a baserunning blunder.
One inning earlier, New York shortstop Francisco Lindor led off with a walk, ending the Dodgers’ streak of 28 consecutive batters retired, going back to Game 5 of the NLDS.
“Whether you lose by one or lose by 20 you have to learn from it and come back tomorrow and we have to execute,” said Lindor, who was 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. “I hate losing. Every loss to me, it doesn’t feel good. You have to learn from it and play better.”
The Los Angeles scoreless streak is an NL record and tied the Baltimore Orioles’ major-league-best run of 33 scoreless innings in the 1966 playoffs.
–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
