A local kid comes home to pitch for his boyhood team, a homegrown talent returns seasoned with experiences and knowledge.
In his eight-year career, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty has learned thousands of life lessons filled with both successes and failures. In his seven postseason appearances, Flaherty’s team has gone on to lose the game six times, including in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Padres in blowout fashion.
So as he walked off the mound to a standing ovation in the top of the seventh inning, having delivered seven shutout innings to give the Dodgers a 9-0 win over the New York Mets in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, he looked for his mom in the stands and smiled as he gave his manager Dave Roberts a big hug.
“I saw my mom in her seat,” Flaherty told FOX. “ It makes things feel at home, and it made me relax a little bit. It’s a dream come true.”
Flaherty was born in nearby Burbank, where he grew up going to Dodgers games with his family. He vividly remembers attending Games 1 and 2 of the NLDS between the Mets and Dodgers after graduating from Harvard-Westlake High School in 2015.