The Los Angeles Dodgers will kick off Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees with their top pitcher Jack Flaherty on the mound.

Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty gets call to start World Series Game 1 despite rocky playoff ride

Flaherty has been up and down throughout the postseason this year. He got off on the wrong foot with a loss in his playoff opener against the San Diego Padres during Game 2 of L.A.’s National League Division Series.

He gave up four earned runs and two home runs to only two strikeouts in Los Angeles’ 10-2 loss to San Diego. He followed that up with a dominant showing in the Dodgers’ 9-0 win over the New York Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS, striking out six and keeping his earned runs tally clean.

Most recently, however, the 29-year-old got throttled by the Mets in Game 5 of the same NLCS series, giving up eight earned runs and walking four sluggers on the affair. The shorthanded Dodgers have leaned heavily on him, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Walker Buehler as their three full-time starters amid their injury-plagued rotation. Flaherty entered the postseason having gone 13-7 in the regular season with a praise-worthy 3.17 ERA to show for it.

Flaherty will go up against the best power-hitting team in the MLB in the Yankees

Flaherty has not looked as strong as he has the potential to play up to. Nevertheless, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts feels confident that he can get their ball club off to a 1-0 start to the Fall Classic and position them to win their second World Series in the last five years. The California native will have to be on high alert for a formidable Yankees batting order that led the Majors in home runs (237) in 2024 and boasts several A-grade sluggers including Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

Flaherty has yet to face off against the Yankees this season. He’ll get a chance to for the first time on Friday night when L.A. hosts New York at Dodger Stadium with the opening pitch set for 8:08 PM.