Shohei Ohtani had a standout performance as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets 9-0 in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday. Ohtani went 2-for-4, contributing one RBI and scoring two runs.
The Japanese designated hitter’s highlight came in the second inning when he hit an RBI single to right field, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0. This hit also ended the outing of Mets pitcher Kodai Senga, who suffered the loss.
Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty was exceptional, allowing only two hits and two walks over seven innings while striking out six batters.
Ohtani, who made history this season as the only MLB player to record 50 stolen bases and 50 home runs, was caught stealing for the first time since July 22. He was thrown out attempting to steal second base in the second inning, ending a remarkable streak of 36 successful steals.
Senga struggled in his second playoff start after spending most of the regular season recovering from shoulder and calf injuries. He faced only 10 batters in 1⅓ innings, giving up three runs on two hits and four walks. After getting Ohtani to ground out in his first at-bat, Senga walked three consecutive batters and allowed a two-out, two-RBI single to Max Muncy.
“Jack did a wonderful job and so did our offense,” Ohtani said. “Muncy’s two-run single in the first inning with two outs was huge after we drew walks to load the bases.”
In the fourth inning, Ohtani further stretched the lead to 5-0 with a powerful line-drive single that hit the wall in right center, allowing Tommy Edman to score from first base after right fielder Starling Marte bobbled the ball.
“A fat pitch happened to come my way, and it was a good at-bat,” Ohtani explained. “I was wondering if it would clear the right fielder, but thankfully it did, and Tommy ran well too.”
The Dodgers added three more runs in the eighth inning, highlighted by a double from Mookie Betts. Ohtani rounded the bases after reaching first on a walk.
“It was a home game today, and the fans’ cheers were amazing,” Ohtani said. “That helped me approach my at-bats with an aggressive mindset.”
Despite a depleted pitching rotation, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto still recovering from a shoulder injury, the Dodgers’ defense tied an MLB playoff record with 33 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to their NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres. They aim to extend this streak in Game 2 against the Mets on Monday.
“We can’t always expect to score runs like we did today, but I believe we can still score if the offense does its job,” Ohtani concluded.
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