In Los Angeles, Jack Flaherty is set to take the mound for the Dodgers in the opening game of the World Series against the New York Yankees.
The right-handed pitcher will be facing Gerrit Cole on Friday evening at Dodger Stadium, creating a notable matchup between local talents.
Flaherty, who hails from Burbank and played his high school baseball at Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, is up against Cole, who is originally from Tustin in Orange County and has a collegiate background pitching for UCLA.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced during a recent Zoom press conference that rookie sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was signed for an impressive $325 million, will take the ball for Game 2 on Saturday.
Additionally, Roberts mentioned the intention to deploy a bullpen game at some point during the best-of-seven series, indicating a strategic approach for the Dodgers.
Despite his recent challenges, Flaherty has made three playoff starts this season, posting a 7.04 ERA.
His last outing against the New York Mets in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series was particularly tough, where he surrendered eight earned runs and issued four walks over just three innings of work.
However, he showcased his potential in Game 1 against the Mets earlier in the postseason, allowing only two hits across seven innings.
Flaherty became part of the Dodgers roster during the trade deadline in July after being acquired from Detroit.