- Pakistan 'vigilantes' behind rise in online blasphemy cases
- Nearly 90, but opera legend Kabaivanska is still calling tune
- Smith experiment as Test opener over, Green out of India series
- With inflation down, ECB eyes faster tempo of rate cuts
- Is life possible on a Jupiter moon? NASA goes to investigate
- Dodgers crush Mets 9-0 in MLB playoff series opener
- South Korea military says 'fully ready' as drone tensions soar
- Cummins back, Marsh and Head out of Pakistan ODI series
- Shanghai stocks swing after stimulus briefing as most of Asia rises
- New Zealand's Latham promises 'no fear' as he takes charge for India Tests
- Kyrgios vows to 'shut up' doubters with December comeback
- Public hearings start into death of Brit by Russian nerve agent
- Ex-Stasi officer faces verdict over 1974 Berlin border killing
- Role of government, poverty research tipped for economics Nobel
- 'Stolen satire' feeds US election misinformation
- Rookie McCarty captures first PGA Tour title in Black Desert Championship
- Australia all-rounder Green ruled out of India Test series
- Seeing double in Nigeria's 'twins capital of the world'
- UK FM to attend EU foreign affairs talks for first time in 2 years
- Carter, Billups among 13 new Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- Ravens rip Commanders as Lions lose NFL sacks leader in win
- Hezbollah drone strike kills four, wounds dozens at Israeli base
- China says launches military drills around Taiwan
- Stewart leads Liberty past Lynx to level WNBA Finals
- England return to winning ways in Nations League, Austria thrash Norway
- UN chief says attacks on UNIFIL 'may constitute a war crime'
- Ravens outlast Commanders while Bucs batter Saints in NFL
- Dozens hurt in Israel as Hezbollah claims drone strike
- England deserve 'world class' coach: Carsley
- Burkina Faso win to become first qualifiers for 2025 AFCON
- AC Milan's Pulisic among five out for USA match in Mexico
- France's Amandine Henry retires from international football
- Centre-left set to win pro-Ukraine Lithuania's vote
- India's World Cup hopes in Pakistan hands after Australia defeat
- Zelensky says NKorea sending troops to Russian army
- England beat Finland to get back on track
- King and Lewis propel West Indies to T20 triumph over Sri Lanka
- Pre-Halloween 'Terrifier' lands atop North America box office
- 'I still plan to compete and play next season,' says Djokovic
- Harris, Trump seek advantage in knife-edge election battle
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record in Chicago
- Kamindu and Asalanka power Sri Lanka to 179 against West Indies
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record as Korir wins in Chicago
- Spain send injured Yamal home 'to prioritise player's health'
- In milestone, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Iraq walks fine line with pro-Iran factions to avoid war
- Race four abandoned after New Zealand breeze into 3-0 lead in America's Cup
- West Indies win toss, put Sri Lanka in to bat in first T20
- Sudan rescuers say air strike killed 23 in Khartoum market
- Netanyahu tells UN to move Lebanon peacekeepers out of 'harm's way'
Dodgers crush Mets 9-0 in MLB playoff series opener
Los Angeles pitcher Jack Flaherty dominated over seven scoreless innings and the Dodgers shut out the New York Mets 9-0 on Sunday in game one of Major League Baseball's National League Championship Series.
Mookie Betts delivered a three-run double. Max Muncy drove in two runs and Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani singled in a run and electrified the Dodger Stadium crowd with a hit that threatened to clear the outfield wall.
But it was more stellar pitching, backed by lockdown defense and a disciplined performance at the plate that propelled the Dodgers to victory in game one of the best-of-seven series.
The Dodgers pitchers have now tied the major league post-season record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings, set by the Baltimore Orioles over the first four games of the 1996 World Series against the Dodgers.
"Each and every one of the pitchers has been doing their job exceptionally well and it's really setting the tone for the offensive part of the game to be able to feel comfortable and score runs," Ohtani said.
The Dodgers will try to double their series lead when they host game two on Monday.
The winner of the series will advance to the World Series to face either the New York Yankees or Cleveland Guardians, who open the American League Championship Series on Monday.
It started with Flaherty, who retired the first nine batters he faced, giving up two hits and two walks with six strikeouts before departing with the Dodgers up 6-0.
Meanwhile Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga lasted just four outs, his inability to throw strikes proving costly.
After retiring Ohtani to start the bottom of the first, Senga walked three straight batters to load the bases then gave up a single to Muncy that scored two runs.
He walked Gavin Lux to open the second. Lux advanced to second on a sacrifice fly and scored when Ohtani cracked a sharp single to right field, spelling the end of Senga's day.
"He just didn't have it together," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
The Dodgers put up three more runs in the fourth inning off Mets reliever David Peterson, who walked Enrique Hernandez to open the inning.
Hernandez scored on a single by Tommy Edman and Ohtani then belted the ball to center field for a hit that was originally scored a double. Edman raced around for a run as Ohtani reached second on what was later ruled a throwing error -- one of three by New York.
Ohtani, serenaded with chants of "MVP" whenever he was at the plate, scored on a bloop single to left field by Freddy Freeman and it was 6-0 Dodgers.
Flaherty got through the fifth without giving up a run with help from the Dodgers defense. Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker led off the inning with a single.
Jose Iglesias followed with a single and when Winker hesitated trying for third he was caught for the first out of another scoreless inning.
Betts boosted the score in the bottom of the eighth, belting a bases-loaded double to left field that scored all three runners and made it 9-0 -- the most lopsided shutout win in Dodgers playoff history.
D.Kaufman--AMWN