LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jack Flaherty combined a three-hitter and the Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers tied the postseason record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings by beating the New York Mets 9-0 in the opening game of the NL Championship Series on Sunday night defeated.

Los Angeles struck out a wild Kodai Senga in the second inning, built a six-run lead in the fourth inning, and tied the scoreless record set by Baltimore Orioles pitchers in the first four games of the 1966 World Series against the Dodgers.

Supported by “MVP! MVP!” Shohei Ohtani was 2 for 4 with a walk while scoring two runs and driving in another.

Mookie Betts added a three-run double in the eighth, marking the largest shutout margin of victory in the Dodgers' postseason history and also the Mets' most lopsided postseason shutout loss.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Monday.

Flaherty allowed two hits over seven innings in the Dodgers' first scoreless postseason start of more than seven innings since Clayton Kershaw's eight innings in the 2020 NL Wild Card Series.

Flaherty left to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 53,503. The 28-year-old right-hander from nearby Burbank returned home from Detroit at the July 30 trade deadline and was an integral part of a rotation hit hard by injuries.

Flaherty retired his first nine batters, extending the streak of consecutive hitters retired by the Dodgers to 28, before striking out Francisco Lindor in the leadoff of the fourth. New York's only hits against him were two singles by Jesse Winker and Jose Iglesias in the fifth. Flaherty struck out six.

Daniel Hudson and Ben Casparius each pitched one inning.

Lindor was 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout and Pete Alonso was hitless with a walk and a strikeout in three at-bats.

The Dodgers battled close to elimination against San Diego and won the NL Division Series in five games, with shutouts in the final two games.

They opened their quest for a record 25th. NL pennant by chasing Senga after 1 1/3 innings of just his third start overall in a year decimated by injuries. The Japanese right-hander walked four of his first eight batters in the first inning, including three in a row in a 14-pitch span.

Senga walked the bases with one out in the first game when only seven of his 23 pitches were thrown for strikes. Max Muncy hit a single up the middle, hitting Betts and a limping Freddie Freeman, whose left foot touched the plate to protect his sprained right ankle. He stumbled into the arms of Betts, who was supporting the much taller and taller Freeman.

Ohtani chased Senga with an RBI single in the second and the Dodgers scored three runs in the fourth off reliever David Peterson, while Tommy Edman and Freeman had RBI singles.

NEXT

Mets Sean Manaea starts Game 2 after winning Game 3 of the NL Division Series against Philadelphia. It's the first time the Dodgers have faced a lefty this postseason.

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