LOS ANGELES – Perfection was in the air for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Perfection on the scoreboard, perfection for a hometown player living a dream, and near perfection for almost anyone throwing a baseball for LA right now

In a Game 1 loss filled with historic no-hitters, Jack Flaherty and two relievers defeated the New York Mets 9-0 and the Dodgers picked up their opening win in the NLCS.

“It was just a pitching clinic,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I thought (Flaherty) did a great job of filling the strike zone with his full mix. He used his fastball when he needed it. He just minimized the damage.”

With the whitewash, the Dodgers extended their scoreless innings streak – one that began in Game 3 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres – to 33 innings, tying the 1966 Baltimore Orioles for the longest streak in postseason history.

The Dodgers also became only the third team, joining the Orioles and the 1905 New York Giants, to record three consecutive shutouts in the postseason.

Flaherty delivered the first seven of those goose eggs in Game 1, holding the Mets to two hits in seven innings and striking out six. It was the longest postseason appearance by a Dodgers starter since Max Scherzer on October 11, 2021. Los Angeles, one game into October, had 20 games between these two luminaries.

This was the kind of commitment that the injury-ravaged Dodgers team hoped and desperately needed from Flaherty when they acquired him from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.

“He has an aura,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “He’s super competitive, super focused. I see him preparing a few days before the start. It’s intense.”

The evening was, well, perfect for Flaherty, an L.A. native who grew up a Dodgers fan and attended many games at Dodger Stadium with his mother, who was in attendance Sunday. Flaherty also pitched a shutout to win a state championship at the ballpark in 2013 in high school.

In short, it was the kind of night that a kid growing up as a fan of any team dreams of. Not only was Flaherty able to live it out, but he did so with family and friends watching from the stands, including buddies with whom he played Little League.

“Man, these are the days, these are the best days we’ve had,” Flaherty said. “I still have my friends that I played with, I saw a few of them there in the stands. Just really cool. Really cool to have everyone’s support.”

For Flaherty, the evening ended when he walked off the mound at the end of the seventh inning to a rousing ovation from a group of fans that included him. As intense as it may be, the journey was not lost on Flaherty.

“Usually when I go down the hill, even if it was the end of an outing, I could definitely hold it together,” Flaherty said. “Yeah, it’s hard not to smile.”

With Game 2 looming after a brief turnaround on Tuesday afternoon, Roberts confirmed that the Dodgers will play a bullpen contest in which they will play a number of relievers in hopes of continuing the scoreless streak and going 2-0 to New York York return lead. That made Flaherty's performance in Game 1, particularly the length, all the more crucial.

“That was good for me,” said Roberts. “Jack being able to do that opens up a lot of things and also saves some looks (against Mets hitters) from some of our guys in the box.”

Another nod to perfection: For a fleeting moment, it literally applied to a Dodgers staff dominating during the most important time on the baseball calendar. When Flaherty allowed his first baserunner in the fourth inning – a leadoff walk against New York's Francisco Lindor – it broke a streak of 28 consecutive batters retired by the LA team and went back to Game 5 against San Diego.

The records come so quickly for the Dodgers that they don't even realize when they're happening. The Orioles' scoreless inning streak was offset by a scoreless ninth pitch from rookie Ben Casparius, who had all three big league appearances to begin the playoffs.

Casparius had no idea he was part of the story until he was told after the game, but he seemed to appreciate the significance.

“It’s amazing,” said Casparius. “Especially as a freshman and someone who came here really late.”

The perfection extended to the Dodgers' offense, which scored nine runs. And for a team that relies heavily on home runs to turn the scoreboard, LA didn't hit a ball over the fence on Sunday. The Dodgers only had one extra-base hit and even laid down two sacrifice bunts.

For the Mets, who played in the 100th postseason game in franchise history, it was the worst playoff loss ever.

With the breakout, the Dodgers have now scored 23 consecutive runs since their pitchers last allowed a run, two shy of Atlanta's postseason record set in 1996. The team Flaherty just joined, the one he but rooted all his life, has gained momentum.

“This game is fun,” Flaherty said. “This game is a lot of fun. I've been lucky enough to play it since I was a little kid. I’m still lucky enough to be able to do it today and be put in these positions.”

The Dodgers are in for an ideal night in Chavez Ravine. Still, it was still just a win, a fact not lost on the Dodgers or the star of this dream come true.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” Flaherty said. “It’s Game 1. It’s still a really good team over there. We’re going to have fun tonight, but we have a quick turnaround tomorrow.”