LOS ANGELES — Jack Flaherty, the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, showcased his skills in front of a supportive home crowd, helping his team secure a 6-3 victory against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series.

Flaherty, who hails from local Harvard-Westlake High School, delivered an impressive performance while facing off against Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, a fellow UCLA alumnus.

During his time on the mound, Flaherty conceded five hits and two earned runs while striking out six batters over 5⅓ innings.

“I focused on one pitch at a time,” Flaherty commented on his approach during the game. “The atmosphere was amazing and the setting was surreal.”

Manager Dave Roberts praised Flaherty’s overall performance, noting there was just “one poorly thrown pitch.”

In the sixth inning, Yankee’s Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer off Flaherty on a 1-2 count, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead, which led Roberts to pull Flaherty from the game.

The Dodgers’ bullpen managed to allow just one more run for the remainder of the game, securing the series-opening victory.

Flaherty rose to the occasion, successfully handling a challenging lineup that included Aaron Judge, who is likely to be named the American League Most Valuable Player. Notably, Flaherty struck out Judge all three times they faced each other.

“It was a fantastic performance,” said Roberts. “He effectively utilized his breaking ball, and that strikeout against Judge on a 3-2 count was particularly crucial.”

“Judge is an MVP candidate. You need to be cautious when facing him,” Roberts added.

“He’s incredible,” Flaherty remarked about Judge. “I managed to make some good pitches. Some days it just works out that way; I’ll have to think of different strategies for next time because he’s a talented hitter who will adjust.”

The Dodgers celebrated their seventh sellout game of the postseason, with an attendance of 52,394, and honored another baseball legend.

Flaherty pitched on a mound marked with the number 34 in memory of Fernando Valenzuela, who passed away earlier this week. Before the game, Flaherty wore a Valenzuela jersey as a tribute.

“He was a true legend,” Flaherty expressed. “It was a tough loss for the Dodgers community… I aimed to channel that emotion into my performance and savor the moment.”

Flaherty’s recent playoff journey in the National League Championship Series was quite a ride, seeing him excel in one game and struggle in another. In Game 1 against the Mets, he tossed six scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, but in his Game 5 start, he gave up eight earned runs over three innings.

Flaherty will pitch for Game 5 on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, with a regular rest schedule.