Shohei Ohtani and Dodgers get title defense off to winning start against Cubs

Japan Times

18-03-2025

In an opening day matchup that featured more Japanese star power than ever, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani had two hits and scored a pair of runs, while Yamamoto reigned on the mound with his splitter to help the defending World Series champions earn a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in the MLB season opener at Tokyo Dome on Tuesday night.
"This is the best feeling," Yamamoto said. "The cheering of the fans gave us power."
Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya drove in the first run of the season with a double in the second inning before the Dodgers seized the momentum in the fifth when Tommy Edman and Will Smith drove in a run apiece, and Ohtani scored on a throwing error.
From the moment the Dodgers and Cubs landed in Japan, the Tokyo Series, as the opening games have been dubbed, has been part season opener, part celebration of the five Japanese stars on the two teams.
Ohtani, who has attracted by far the most attention of any player on the two clubs, finished 2-for-5. There were thousands of No. 17 jerseys in the stands at the Big Egg and the reigning National League MVP heard rapturous applause from the 42,365 fans in attendance when his name was called during the Pokemon-themed player introductions.
The Dodgers leadoff man was the first player to step into the batter's box this season, and he did it against Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga, who was making his first opening day start in MLB.
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches against the Cubs at Tokyo Dome on Tuesday. |
JOSHUA MELLIN
Ohtani grounded out in his first at-bat and lined out in his second. He singled to right against reliever Ben Brown in the fifth and scored the tiebreaking run later in the inning. Ohtani struck out in the sixth and sent cheers ringing out around Tokyo Dome with a double in the ninth. He scored his second run of the night later in that inning when Teoscar Hernandez singled to left.
Despite all the potential distractions in an abnormal season opener, Ohtani said the biggest challenge was using the visitor's dugout at Tokyo Dome. Ohtani often used the home side during his NPB days, when the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters hosted games at the Big Egg.
"I've played at Tokyo Dome before, but almost always on the home side," Ohtani said. "I was not really sure what the visiting side was like. I thought that I wouldn't be able to use the cage I like and that it would be difficult to prepare, so I think my first challenge was to respond to that. I think it's good that I did a good job, especially in my third at-bat."
Yamamoto got the start for the Dodgers and threw five innings of one-run ball to earn the win. The right-hander struck out four and walked one batter.
"I was really nervous," Yamamoto said. "But I felt good during practice and was able to stay calm when I stepped on the mound.
His splitter caused a lot of problems for the Cubs throughout his outing, and he and catcher Will Smith kept them coming.
"His splits were outstanding tonight," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "I mean, they're 93, 94 (mph) on the split-finger. And just so many competitive. It's a pitch that you hope to get a couple free ones, because they're out of the zone, but he just threw so many competitive splits at the bottom of the zone, going out of the strike zone. It's a really tough pitch to lay off. That's why he's a really good pitcher."
Imanaga threw four scoreless innings. He walked four but did not allow a hit and struck out two.
"Shota pitched really, really well," Counsell said. "No hits, a lot of weak contact, kind of worked around some walks."
For Imanaga, it was a night of mixed emotions.
"I had two missions," Imanaga said. "First I wanted to have a good game. The other was that I wanted the team to win this game, which was the most important mission. I was able to have a good game, but we were not able to win. So I want to take what I can from this and bring it back to the U.S. and work on it."
Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki, the other Japanese player in the contest, went 0-for-4.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first regular-season game in Japan, when the Cubs and Mets opened the 2000 season at Tokyo Dome. Tuesday's contest was the 11th regular-season game at Tokyo Dome.
The Cubs got on the scoreboard first when Dansby Swanson singled in the second, advanced on a groundout by Pete Crow-Armstrong and scored on Amaya's double.
Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages drew a one-out walk in the fifth and advanced to third on the single by Ohtani. Edman tied the score with a line drive to left that was just out of the reach of Ian Happ.
Hernandez hit a chopper to third that looked like it might start an inning-ending double play, and while the Cubs got one out, a wild throw to first by second baseman Jon Berti allowed Ohtani to come home and make the score 2-1. Smith tacked on another run with an RBI hit to left.
Ohtani doubled to right in the ninth and came home on Hernandez's hit to extend the lead.
The Dodgers played without two members of its MVP trio, with Mookie Betts heading back to the U.S. due to an illness and Freddie Freeman scratched from the lineup before the game due to left rib discomfort.
"I thought it was a good baseball game," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I thought offensively, we controlled the strike zone, took our walks, got some timely hits, played good defense."
Pitcher Roki Sasaki, the fifth member of the Japanese MLB quintet, will take the mound for the Dodgers in his MLB debut on Wednesday. Justin Steele will take the mound for the Cubs.