NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: METS VS DODGERS

October 13, 2024

Jack Flaherty

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Dodgers - 9, Mets - 0

Q. First, just to go through seven scoreless innings and then to have the ovation from the fans, just how special was that for you, considering playing for this team, being a part of this run and also setting the tone in this game?

JACK FLAHERTY: It's a lot of fun. You can't really put it all into words. But the most important part was coming out and setting a tone. Like I said, Will did a really good job. He called a really good game, really good game plan. And defense came out and made plays, too.

And when we get the lead there, I haven't done a really good job of putting together a couple of shutdown innings. So once we get that lead in the first, to get them right back in the dugout and then we add another one. And then put another shutdown inning right there, it's huge just overall.

And then look at the play that Kiké made there in the fourth inning kind of changes -- I don't know what inning it was -- but it changes the outlook of maybe the way that inning goes, getting that out there. So it was huge.

But being able to be here and have some family in the stands and see some of them beforehand, it kind of just lets you, like, relax a little bit and understand that we're playing a game and so having some fun.

Q. With your fastball usage and just the command you had today, how did that set the tone for you personally when it came to you executing your pitches and using just everything else you have?

JACK FLAHERTY: It was huge. Being able to use my fastball tonight was huge. My slider was a little off early; I wasn't able to put it over the plate. As the game went on, we were able to mix with everything.

Yeah, I guess -- Will did a really good job back there. And he got some pitches for me as well.

All in all good. Just really one guy after the other just feeding off of each other, so it's been a lot of fun.

Q. To feed off of that, how good did you feel out there in terms of actual execution?

JACK FLAHERTY: I felt good. I felt like I had kind of figured some things out the last couple of days, just working through things. I felt like my stuff against San Diego was okay, but even in that game was able to get some outs and put a couple of zeros together.

And then was just able to clean some things up in on my delivery and work on a couple of things, work on my stuff.

Yeah, warm-up before the game felt good. Felt good yesterday. Then it just comes down to executing. If you just work on the stuff on days between, today just comes down to going out and competing.

Q. After Game 5 of the DS, Yamamoto kind of talked about hearing from all his teammates and stuff, kind of helped move past the Game 1 start. Wondering after the last start, from a mental standpoint, what you have to do, what's the process of getting over that?

JACK FLAHERTY: That's something that we have to do all the time, no matter what. It's no different than the regular season. Maybe just the stakes are a little higher. But it's no different. You've got to be able to move on from one start to the next one.

You know that the guys in this locker room have your back. And everybody's going to pick each other up, which is what went on in the last series. Somebody has an off day, somebody else picks them up. Or if somebody doesn't drive a run in, next guy is going to pick him up.

Same thing with pitching. But on a pitching side it's been more of just picking up where the last guy left off. But you know that the guy coming in after you has got your back. And that's why this whole team has felt, is that everybody is just feeding off of each other right now.

Q. You touched on this a little bit earlier about ther feeling of (indiscernible). You grew up here. You went to games here. You're pitching the kind of game I imagine you dreamed of as a kid. Actually being out there, what does that feel like? What was that like?

JACK FLAHERTY: I think it's exactly the way I put it. I saw some family out there when I was warming up and I had gone to games here with them before. So it was just kind of lets you relax a little bit. At least that was the way it was for me tonight.

And just not trying to do too much. Felt I tried to do too much the last couple times out in some big games. And just allowed me to be myself and just go out and pitch and trust my stuff and trust the guys behind me.

Q. As far as best nights of your career, where does this one rank?

JACK FLAHERTY: That's tough. It was a lot of fun. I haven't thrown a Game 1. Thrown a lot of Game 2s and a Game 5. But a lot of fun to go out and just give us a 1-0 lead at the end of the day. We still got work to do. But everyone did a good job.

Q. The dreams you had about pitching here, obviously you pitched in high school, but to do it in a game coming after seven shutout innings, walking off the mound, everyone giving you a standing ovation, 55,000 people, getting that hug from Dave Roberts, your mom right there behind home plate, what is that feeling like putting your team in a position three wins away from the World Series? And I saw later you did come out embrace your mom, gave her a hug. What was that conversation? What did you say?

JACK FLAHERTY: It's hard not to smile about those things. This game is fun. This game is a lot of fun and I've been lucky to do it since I was a little kid. I'm still lucky to be able to do it today and be put in these positions, which is why I kind of try to describe these games as fun.

As high pressure as they get, I just tell the guys it's going to be fun. We've got to remember that sometimes.

Walking off the mound I usually have been able to keep it together no matter what, even if it's the end of an outing. But I had a feeling it was towards the end of the line. Yeah, it's hard not to smile there.

And at least here, like, they asked me to come back out. I told my mom I was going to come out and just give her a hug, the way we've been able to. Looking back on high school or couple other starts, when I get the opportunity, just instead of waiting to meet her underneath or whatnot, if I can just go out give her a hug, tell her thanks for being there and supporting me. It's always important.

Q. As you know growing up here the Dodgers have always been about pitching, especially in the postseason. Who are the guys that you watched or maybe heard about from your mom or anybody else that would say, hey, this is what October is all about?

JACK FLAHERTY: The answer is there's only one -- it's Kersh. Regardless of what people want to say about what his postseason numbers are, he's had a hell of a lot of good ones. And he's been an absolute stud for the entirety of his career. And getting a hug after him afterwards and him letting me know it was a really good job is special and things that you can't make up.

That dude took the ball every time, every time he got the opportunity to in the playoffs. Had some really damn good outings outside of a pitch here and there. That's the guy you look at.

He takes the ball and wants the ball every time out. You watch him and you get to be around him and you watch the way he works and the way he goes about his business, and is even just more special.

But I think back on all those starts he's had where he was phenomenal taking the ball on three days' rest and going out and still going six, seven innings no matter what. That guy's second to none.

Q. For you guys to get, I don't know if you heard the scoreless innings record for postseason, to have seven as part of that, does that put you maybe one step toward, hey, I'm making my mark here in Dodger postseason history?

JACK FLAHERTY: I've got work to do. It's Game 1. It's a really good team over there still. We'll enjoy tonight but we've got a quick turnaround tomorrow.

I'll have fun watching these guys go out and compete and watching everybody come out of the bullpen, whoever takes the ball and watching this lineup go to work.

So we still have work to do. Whatever the score is, who cares, it's great. But at the end of the day all that matters is going out, winning ball games.

Q. How does seven scoreless in NLCS at Dodger Stadium compare to pitching a shutout in a high school championship game at Dodger Stadium?

JACK FLAHERTY: Both are cool. Different settings. But it's great. I love it. I just want to give our chance a team to win no matter what. I was able to do that today.

So I can look on it and say that we did a good job today. And I'm looking forward to watching these guys tomorrow and watching until I get to take the ball again.

It's a really good team over there, and we had a good Game 1, but we've got to come back tomorrow and keep our foot on the pedal. Not let up at all.

Q. Yesterday you mentioned being here for the 2015 DS and thinking those are special arms out there. There's likely a kid on out there saying the same thing about you tonight. What was that kid kind of thinking and looking fondly at now?

JACK FLAHERTY: It will be fun to be out there no matter what the situation, and everybody talked about it when we were playing whiffle ball, whatnot, growing up. I'm sure every single one of us has done it and put ourselves in the scenario.

It's the same thing, same game. You've just got to look at it as fun and try not to make things bigger than they are. Not let your imagination get in the way.

Q. Joe Davis made a Sherman Oaks Little League reference during the game. I know there were a bunch of Sherman Oaks Little League kids in the stands today. What would you have to say to them about getting here and what they have to do to get here?

JACK FLAHERTY: Man, those are the days, those are the best days we had. I still have my buddies I played with, saw a couple of them there in the stands. Just real cool. Real cool having the support of all of them.

But it lets you know that you never know how long those kids that you play with are going to continue to be your friends. I've been lucky enough to stay friends with a bunch of them for a long time, some of my closest friends.

Just nice having that same support. Those guys are family. And it's great having them out there, and they'll be out here supporting the whole team the rest of this series and however far we end up going.

But today was a good day, and we've got some work to do, regroup, clean some things up, get on with the rest of the series.