LOS ANGELES — Jack Flaherty, who grew up in Los Angeles, has always envisioned playing for the Dodgers. He even pitched at Dodger Stadium during high school, dreaming of this moment.

However, he never expected a night like this.

Flaherty delivered one of the greatest pitching performances in Dodgers playoff history, allowing only two hits across seven innings of shutout baseball, leading the Dodgers to a commanding 9-0 victory over the New York Mets in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium.

“It was,’’ noted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, “truly a pitching clinic.’’

This outing marked the Dodgers’ third straight shutout this postseason, a record last matched only by the 1966 Baltimore Orioles and the 1905 New York Giants. The Dodgers have now not allowed a run for 33 innings, tying the postseason shutout streak record set by the 1966 Orioles. (Those Orioles did it against the Dodgers in that same World Series.)

“What these guys have accomplished is nothing short of amazing,’’ stated Dodgers center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. “I’ve played on teams with fantastic pitching, but doing it consistently against powerful offenses like this? I’ve never witnessed anything comparable.”

“In the postseason, none of us have.”

Unlike the legendary Orioles, who had Hall of Famers like Jim Palmer and Dave McNally along with four 20-game winners, the Dodgers don’t boast such a prestigious lineup.

In fact, the Dodgers aren’t even fully stocked with four healthy starters.

Since Game 3 of the National League Division Series, after giving up six runs in a single inning to the San Diego Padres, their pitching staff has been nearly untouchable.

They have limited opposing hitters to a mere .127 batting average since that second inning, during which they retired 27 batters in a row at one point. On Sunday, the Mets could only muster three singles, with their leading hitters — Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, and Starling Marte — finishing 0-for-17 with seven strikeouts.

The Dodgers have executed their dominance so effectively that rookie Ben Casparius, who took the mound in the ninth inning, was unaware they were just one inning away from tying a historical record.

“I found out once I got back to the clubhouse,” said Casparius, who showcased the game ball he received. “I’m keeping this one.”

Throughout this streak, the Dodgers have utilized 11 different pitchers, with Casparius making his debut in this record-tying inning.

“We take immense pride in this,” said Casparius. “We don’t discuss our bullpen’s dominance openly; we focus on the game at hand, but it’s definitely something special.”

Yet, this particular night was especially significant for Flaherty.

Having grown up in LA, Flaherty had longtime friends from his days in Sherman Oaks Little League and Harvard-Westlake High School cheering in the stands. With his mother seated behind home plate, he delivered the performance of a lifetime at Dodger Stadium.

This was his best outing at Dodger Stadium since pitching a six-hit shutout during his junior year championship game at Harvard-Westlake in 2017.

“Man, those were some incredible times,” Flaherty reflected. “Those days were the best. I still have the friends I played with and spotted a couple in the stands tonight. It’s just really special. It reminds you not to take for granted the friendships you have from childhood.”

“I’ve been fortunate to stay close with many of them; they truly feel like family.”

As Flaherty completed his seventh inning with 98 pitches, the 53,503-strong crowd erupted in a standing ovation, with his teammates celebrating him in the dugout.

A broad smile broke across his face as he glanced back at his mother, who was visibly emotional.

“Putting it into words is tough,” Flaherty admitted. “But being here, having family in attendance, and seeing familiar faces while I was warming up makes it easier to relax.”

“That’s how I felt tonight.”

“It was hard not to smile.”

Flaherty, who recently joined the Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline, almost became a Yankee before they backed out due to concerns about his medical examination, is now enshrined in Dodgers postseason history. He once came to Dodger Stadium to watch his heroes and now plays alongside his idol, future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw.

“No matter what others might say about his playoff stats,” Flaherty stated, “he has had many exceptional outings. He has consistently performed at a top level throughout his career.”

“Receiving a hug from him afterward and hearing his words of encouragement meant the world to me. You can’t fabricate moments like these.

“He wants the ball every single time. Watching him in action, being around him, and observing his work ethic is truly incredible. That man is in a league of his own.”

Thanks to Flaherty’s stellar performance, Roberts mentioned that the Dodgers can rely on a bullpen game for Game 2 on Monday,

The Dodgers will start Walker Buehler in Game 3 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 4.

Given the way the Dodgers dominated the Mets, achieving the largest Game 1 shutout win since the Chicago Cubs did in 1984, it’s uncertain if they even need to strategize beyond four games.

“We just need to focus on our own game,” stated Dodgers All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, who is competing with a badly sprained ankle that necessitates 4½ hours of treatment each day. Despite this, he managed to get two hits, register an RBI, and score a run.

“We can’t afford to ease up; we have to keep applying pressure,” Freeman emphasized.

The Dodgers faced a tough lesson in 2021 when they triumphed in a challenging five-game NL Division Series against the San Francisco Giants. Thinking they could easily defeat Atlanta in the NLCS, they ended up losing in six games, watching as Atlanta celebrated a World Series victory while they remained at home.

“We took away valuable lessons from that experience,” remarked Dodgers All-Star right fielder Mookie Betts. “We had beaten a strong team, but when we thought we could easily get back into the rhythm, it didn’t turn out as expected.

“So, it was a significant learning opportunity for all of us.

“We understand that this isn’t finished yet.”

It certainly felt that way.