The Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing for Friday’s World Series opener against the New York Yankees.
After an offensive explosion against the New York Mets in the National League Championship Game, the Dodgers are gaining some momentum with the bats.
Jack Flaherty will take the mound for the Dodgers in the first game since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers before the trade deadline.
According to FOX Sports. MLB’s “X,” Flaherty honored Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela by appearing in the first game in his jersey.
Jack Flaherty showed up for Game 1 wearing a Fernando Valenzuela jersey 💙 #WorldSeries
📸: @Dodgers: pic.twitter.com/uLxbNkKlvT
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 25, 2024
Flaherty is coming off his worst postseason start of the year against the Mets, where he went three innings, allowing eight earned runs on eight hits while walking four in the loss.
He’ll try to make a comeback in Game 1 against the Yankees, and apparently he’s channeling Valenzuela’s performance against the same Yankees club back in 1981.
Valenzuela played one game in the 1981 World Series against the Yankees, where he pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits, four earned runs and seven walks while striking out six.
1981 was an electric season for Valenzuela as he won both the Rookie of the Year Award and the Cy Young Award.
Flaherty gets the first start, likely due to injuries to key starters Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw.
He will look to repeat his outing in Game 1 against the Mets, where he went seven innings, allowing two hits, zero earned runs and two walks while striking out six.
NEXT:
Dodgers Announce Game 1 World Series Lineup
