What Aaron Judge is to the New York Yankees, Shohei Ohtani is to the Los Angeles Dodgers—the team’s flag bearers. However, there is a key difference and that’s team performance. While on one side, without Judge, the Yankee lineup crumbles, the same cannot be said about Shohei and the dynamics between his teammates. Look at their Game 1 of the NLCS – even on a day where Ohtani managed just an RMI single, the team did win against the New York Mets, and with flying colors.

The competition was tough, but thanks to the team effort, the Dodgers prevailed. Their star of the day? Jack Flaherty, who threw seven shutout innings to give the team in blue to win the first game on Sunday with the Mets at the Dodgers stadium. Shohei Ohtani couldn’t be more proud, and was thrilled with the team performance, something he has only experienced in MLB with the Los Angeles Dodgers this season.

Shohei Ohtani thankful to his team for the Game 1 win against the Mets 

Shohei Ohtani has always been a stellar player, even when he was with the Angels. But this is the first time that the Japanese star has made it to the postseason. His previous team couldn’t get him to the level he was always capable of, and it won’t be farfetched to say that had it not been for the Dodgers, Ohtani would still not have reached this far, let alone do the 50-50. In fact, recently, Ohtani revealed that his initial struggle at the Dodgers was because he was always under the impression of doing the best and messed up – a situation he faced with the Angels.

However, at the Dodgers’ camp, Ohtani realized he had strong teammates he could rely on, and that support made all the difference. So, after the team won Game 1, Shohei didn’t forget to thank those who made it possible. “Everybody is doing their job, and scoring early is key to our game,” said Shohei Ohtani, and he isn’t wrong, considering the win was a team effort. Mookie Betts delivered a game-changing three-run double and Max Muncy contributed two RBIs.

Ohtani added a single RBI himself, but the hero of the day was Jack Flaherty. Shohei Ohtani mentioned Jack in particular, saying, “The pitching staff, starting with Jack, and the bullpen have been awesome.” Flaherty indeed deserves every bit of the attention he is getting – he threw seven shutout innings to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 9-0 win.

The spotlight is on Jack Flaherty, and rightly so!

Most times, Shohei Ohtani’s name has been on the front page for the Los Angeles Dodgers win. But this game was different, with Jack Flaherty making all the noise. Flaherty retired the first nine batters, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out six. By the time he walked off the mound, the Dodgers were sitting at a lovely cushion of a 6-0 lead – this show of stunning pitching showdown has been on for a while now.

The last time the Dodgers’s pitching staff gave up a run was back in Game 3 of the NLDS. Through Walker Buehler had surrendered a two-run homer to Fernando Tatis Jr. Since then, the pitching staff has been untouchable. But for Jack Flaherty, it was just more than a good game—it was a storybook event – the hometown kid, pitching for his team with a tough postseason history!

Flaherty walked off the mound to a standing ovation, while everyone’s eyes were on him, he scanned the crowd for his star—his mom. “Walking off the mound, I’m usually able to keep it together…but it’s hard not to smile here. I was able to give my mom a hug the way I’ve been able to since high school… I told her thanks for being here and supporting me. It’s a dream come true,” Flaherty later explained. The cameras did capture this touching moment when he embraced his mom

Everyone, from Shohei Ohtani to the team manager, Dave Roberts, was thrilled to see Flaherty shine. The competition is brutal, and now, with how close things came between them and the Padres, letting the guard down is something the men in blue cannot afford. Do you think the team can keep up their pace in game 2 with the Mets? Let us know in the comments.