The Los Angeles Dodgers dominated Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, downing the New York Mets 9-0.
Here are three takeaways from the action:
Top of the lineup delivers for Dodgers
Max Muncy (two RBI) and Tommy Edman (one RBI) contributed three runs at the bottom of the Dodgers lineup, but the team’s one-through three hitters carried the weight. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman went 5-of-11, knocking in five of L.A.’s nine runs with three walks and zero strikeouts.
The Dodgers’ offensive attack was extremely efficient, tallying nine runs (seven earned) off nine hits despite not hitting a home run. Furthermore, they finished 5-of-11 with runners in scoring position and recorded four two-out RBI.
At the start of the series, the Dodgers’ shaky starting pitching situation gave some pause about how they’d fare against the miracle Mets. However, in Game 1, the offense made those questions irrelevant.
Jack Flaherty gave Dodgers a major lift on the mound
While the Dodgers offense erupted for nine runs, a solid performance from Flaherty may have been the most important thing to come out of Game 1. With the high possibility that L.A. will need to pitch a bullpen game on Monday, the eight-year veteran gave the team’s relievers a much-needed rest.
Flaherty pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out six while allowing only two hits. As a result, manager Dave Roberts only had to use his pen sparingly, with Daniel Hudson and Ben Casparius (33 total pitches) being the only relievers to see action.
Meanwhile, momentum for the pitching staff as a whole continues to rise. Following Sunday’s shutout win, the Dodgers have put together 33 consecutive scoreless innings, tying the 1966 Baltimore Orioles for the longest such streak in postseason history.
For the first time this postseason, the moment looked too big for Mets
After getting away with throwing outside the zone in the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets didn’t have the same luck in Game 1. The Dodgers lineup showed tremendous patience, posting more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five) while forcing five New York hurlers to throw a combined 146 pitches.
The Mets made several uncharacteristic mistakes on the field (two errors) and the base paths. In the fifth inning, Jesse Winker’s blunder encapsulated Sunday’s effort, wiping out the lineup’s first base hit a batter later after hesitating around second base following a single by Jose Iglesias before being thrown out at third with his team down 6-0.
Offensively, New York went down in order five times against Dodger pitching, recording only three hits. Meanwhile, the Mets one through six hitters finished 0-of-17 with seven strikeouts.
