T
he Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets opened Game 1 of their NLCS battle at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. The best-of-seven series started as both teams turned in top pitchers in their epic showdown.
Dave Roberts sent Jack Flaherty to the mound, while the Mets had Japanese star Kodai Senga.
Senga had a rocky first inning, walking Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez before Max Muncy drove in Betts and Freeman to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
Shohei Ohtani delivered for the Dodgers after recording a base hit in the second inning. Gavin Lux reached home to record the third run. The Mets struggled to score in the first three innings as Flaherty continued his dominance. The Mets were forced to remove Senga from the mound as Reed Garrett and David Peterson stepped in.
Ohtani stepped up again to drive in another two runs, after which he reached home to give his team a solid 6-0 lead. The Mets' offense struggled to make ends meet against their strong opponent. The Boys in Blue smashed six runs in seven hits in just four innings.
Flaherty had a strong outing for his team, pitching seven scoreless innings. Roberts and his squad showed pure dominance, as their offensive and defensive performance posed a huge threat to their opponent.
The bullpen was equally good as they continued to support Flaherty. As for the Mets, their offensive game was a disaster. It was a huge win for Los Angeles as they took a 1-0 lead, holding an advantage in this series. Betts had a base-clearing double in the bottom of the eight as they took a 9-0 lead.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets Player Stats
Los Angeles Dodgers' Player Stats
New York Mets' Player Stats
Nobody hit home runs in Game 1, but it was an entertaining battle. The Mets will send Sean Manaea to the mound as their starter in Game 2. Manaea has seen some success this season, and he holds a 1-0 record with a 2.92 ERA in this postseason.
Roberts is yet to confirm his starting pitcher for Game 2. Walker Buehler might be one of the options, or it could be another bullpen game. Flaherty got the job done for his team as they won with a 9-0 final score.