The Dodgers had been here before.
Coming off an Emotional Five-Game Division Series
Coming off an emotional five-game division series against a National League West rival. Entering an NL Championship Series against a team with whom they were much less familiar. Four wins from reaching the World Series, and considered safe favorites to get there. But needing to regroup, and make a 48-hour shift from one series to the next.
A Familiar Feeling, a Different Outcome
In 2021, the Dodgers couldn’t do it. After defeating the San Francisco Giants in Game 5 of the NLDS, they lost Game 1 of the NLCS to the Atlanta Braves two days later. They never recovered. Their October ended early.
But this time, the Dodgers got it right. On Friday, they knocked out the San Diego Padres in a winner-take-all game at Dodger Stadium. Then, on Sunday, they were right back at it against the New York Mets, in a set of circumstances eerily familiar to that 2021 campaign.
The Learning Experience
We beat a really good team then and then played another really good team and lost, thinking that we could reset and get back into the flow, recalled outfielder Mookie Betts, one of several holdovers from that 2021 team. It doesn’t really work like that. I think it was a great learning experience for all of us.
The Payoff
On Sunday, the Dodgers delivered a 9-0 thumping to keep the momentum rolling. "I think we just stayed on that high," Betts said. "We didn’t try and reset."
A Dominant Performance
The offense jumped on Mets starter Kodai Senga early, tagging him with three runs in less than two innings before adding three more in the fourth. Jack Flaherty pitched seven dominant innings, extending the team’s scoreless inning streak to a whopping 33 innings — tying a Major League Baseball postseason record — while also producing the longest shutout start in a playoff game for the Dodgers since Clayton Kershaw in 2020.
A Thrilling Defense
The Dodgers’ defense was brilliant, too, making leaping catches at the wall, extending for snags over the foul-ground barrier, and even throwing out a baserunner on a clueless fifth-inning mistake from Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker.
A Sobering Start
The game was finally over, and much of the 53,503-person crowd had already filed out. By then, a resounding Game 1 statement had been long ago delivered. "The most important part," Flaherty said, "was coming out and setting a tone."
A Tough 48-Hour Turnaround
Sunday wasn’t supposed to be this easy for the Dodgers, not after all their advance work was crammed into a 48-hour window. Unlike prepping for the Padres, a team the Dodgers had seen 13 times this year, including the penultimate series of the regular season, their last meeting with the Mets was back in late May.
A Revitalized Team
At that time, the Mets were 11 games under .500, seemingly headed toward a fire sale at the trade deadline, and spiraling so bad that when one of its relievers reportedly said he played for the “worst team” (the reliever, Jorge López, later claimed he was misquoted) it was nonetheless believable.
A New Identity
Since then, however, the Mets have played like a “completely different team,” manager Dave Roberts said. Their 66 wins after May 29 — the final loss of a three-game sweep against the Dodgers — were the most in MLB. Their first two rounds of the postseason were defined by dramatic moments, including Pete Alonso’s go-ahead ninth-inning home run in the wild card series and Francisco Lindor’s NLDS-sealing grand slam a week later.
A Plan In Place
The Dodgers were ready. Even with only one day to prepare, their coaching staff and scouting department worked through much of Friday night, all of Saturday’s off-day and into the wee hours of Sunday morning to get both the lineup and pitching staff up to speed.
The Conclusion
The Dodgers got it right this time. They stayed on the high, didn’t try and reset, and delivered a dominant performance in a 9-0 win. "You’re basically studying for a test," said hitting coach Aaron Bates. "You sleep later, just drink a lot of coffee, Ashoc [energy drinks], whatever you have to do to stay awake. And then, go off adrenaline."
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the key to the Dodgers’ success in Game 1?
A: The offense jumped on Mets starter Kodai Senga early, tagging him with three runs in less than two innings before adding three more in the fourth.
Q: How did the Dodgers’ defense contribute to the win?
A: The Dodgers’ defense made leaping catches at the wall, extended for snags over the foul-ground barrier, and even threw out a baserunner on a clueless fifth-inning mistake from Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker.
Q: What was the key to the Dodgers’ 48-hour turnaround between series?
A: The coaching staff and scouting department worked through much of Friday night, all of Saturday’s off-day and into the wee hours of Sunday morning to get both the lineup and pitching staff up to speed.
