Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one run over five innings in front of 42,365 fans at the Tokyo Dome.
The two teams are set to conclude the two-game series, with the Dodgers looking to return to the states with a 2-0 record.
Here’s how to watch the finale of the Tokyo Series.
When is the Dodgers vs. Cubs game?
The Tokyo Series began Tuesday, March 18 with the Dodgers defeating the Cubs 4-1. The second and final game of the series will be played Wednesday, March 19.
What time is the Dodgers vs. Cubs game?
Set your alarm clock for first pitch — or just stay up really, really late. The second game between the Dodgers and Cubs is set for 3:10 a.m. PT/6:10 a.m. ET.
What channel is the Dodgers vs. Cubs on?
The second game of the Tokyo Series between the Dodgers and Cubs will air on FS1.
How to stream Dodgers vs. Cubs
The game can be streamed live on the Fox Sports App, FOXSports.com and MLB.TV.
Who is pitching in the Dodgers vs. Cubs game?
The Dodgers’ starting pitcher for the second game of the Tokyo Series will be Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, who will make his MLB debut. Pitching for Chicago will be Justin Steele, who went 5-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 24 starts for the Cubs last season.
The 23-year-old Sasaki, who transferred from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, signed with the Dodgers in January as an international amateur free agent.
While pitching for the Chiba Lotte Marines, he posted a 2.02 ERA and racked up 524 strikeouts in just over 414 innings.
In two spring training outings, one in relief and the other as a starter, Sasaki combined to throw seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
When is Opening Day?
Opening Day for most other MLB teams is officially scheduled for Thursday, March 27. The 14-game slate begins with the Milwaukee Brewers against the New York Yankees at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET.
The Dodgers will also be in action for their home opener, facing the Detroit Tigers and reigning American League Cy Young Tarik Skubal at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The Dodgers have not yet announced their starting pitcher for the game.
The Cubs will travel to Arizona to play the Diamondbacks at 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET.
Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one run over five innings in front of 42,365 fans at the Tokyo Dome.
The two teams are set to conclude the two-game series, with the Dodgers looking to return to the states with a 2-0 record.
Here’s how to watch the finale of the Tokyo Series.
When is the Dodgers vs. Cubs game?
The Tokyo Series began Tuesday, March 18 with the Dodgers defeating the Cubs 4-1. The second and final game of the series will be played Wednesday, March 19.
What time is the Dodgers vs. Cubs game?
Set your alarm clock for first pitch — or just stay up really, really late. The second game between the Dodgers and Cubs is set for 3:10 a.m. PT/6:10 a.m. ET.
What channel is the Dodgers vs. Cubs on?
The second game of the Tokyo Series between the Dodgers and Cubs will air on FS1.
How to stream Dodgers vs. Cubs
The game can be streamed live on the Fox Sports App, FOXSports.com and MLB.TV.
Who is pitching in the Dodgers vs. Cubs game?
The Dodgers’ starting pitcher for the second game of the Tokyo Series will be Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, who will make his MLB debut. Pitching for Chicago will be Justin Steele, who went 5-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 24 starts for the Cubs last season.
The 23-year-old Sasaki, who transferred from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, signed with the Dodgers in January as an international amateur free agent.
While pitching for the Chiba Lotte Marines, he posted a 2.02 ERA and racked up 524 strikeouts in just over 414 innings.
In two spring training outings, one in relief and the other as a starter, Sasaki combined to throw seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
When is Opening Day?
Opening Day for most other MLB teams is officially scheduled for Thursday, March 27. The 14-game slate begins with the Milwaukee Brewers against the New York Yankees at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET.
The Dodgers will also be in action for their home opener, facing the Detroit Tigers and reigning American League Cy Young Tarik Skubal at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The Dodgers have not yet announced their starting pitcher for the game.
The Cubs will travel to Arizona to play the Diamondbacks at 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET.
Chapman’s performance has been as advertised so far this spring. The seven-time All-Star has racked up 10 strikeouts over 5.1 innings (six games), but his four walks suggest command remains a concern. He had 5.7 walks per nine innings last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and hasn’t had a BB/9 below 5.0 since 2020.
Still, Chapman’s pitching has looked sharper than Hendriks’ and Slaten’s over the last month. Hendriks, returning from Tommy John recovery, entered Tuesday with a 10.80 ERA over five spring appearances. Slaten has a 4.91 ERA in four games.
If Chapman falters out of the gate, the Red Sox shouldn’t hesitate to give the closer job to Hendriks or Slaten. Hendriks was an elite closer from 2019-22 and Slaten is coming off a breakout rookie season in which he notched a 2.93 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 44 appearances.
The trio will play a significant role in the club’s 2025 success. Boston’s bullpen ranked near the bottom of the league in ERA (4.39) and WHIP (1.34) last year.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has not yet made any official Opening Day roster decisions. He’ll have to finalize his 26-man roster before March 27, when the club begins its 2025 campaign on the road against the Texas Rangers.
Boston signed Chapman to a one-year, $10.75 million contract in December. Chapman has 15 years of MLB experience with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, and Pirates.
Since being traded to the New York Rangers, Carson Soucy hasn’t exactly found a consistent role.
The Rangers acquired Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2025-third round pick just one day before the NHL Trade Deadline.
With Soucy also under contract for next season, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury had high hopes for what the 30-year-old could provide not just this season, but into the future.
He envisioned Soucy being a staple on the Rangers’ blue line.
“We think there's a lot of possibilities with Carson, whether it's with Schneids or Foxy or Will (Borgen), or even having him on the right side at some point,” Drury said. “We'll see how it plays out. I'm glad we were able to get him. I was excited about the term, excited about the number. He's not a rental.
“He’s someone we could have in for the rest of the year and next year. I just like the overall game – the size, the skating, the sense, how he defends. We were able to do some homework on him the last couple weeks and we’re excited to get him with a piece we got in the Reilly Smith trade.”
Drury’s vision has not come into fruition whatsoever thus far.
Soucy has been scratched out of the lineup for the past two games and will be benched once again on Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames.
The emergence of Zac Jones on top of Adam Fox’s return have a lot to do with why Soucy finds himself in the doghouse.
While Peter Laviolette isn’t necessarily discouraged with what he’s seen from the veteran defenseman, he feels that Rangers’ defense has been strong over the past couple games and isn’t looking to shake things up as of right now.
“He’s been good,” Laviolette said of Soucy. “I don’t have an issue with the players that aren’t playing. Again, there are six spots on defense and we have eight defensemen here. I like the six in the way they are playing right now, so we didn’t make a change tonight, but we are happy to have both him and de Hann here. I know it is tough sitting out. Nobody likes to sit out, but I like the way our defense is playing right now.”
This dosn’t mean Soucy will be benched permanently. Things could change on a game-to-game basis depending on how well the Rangers are playing.
In all likelihood, Soucy will be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.
Based on Drury’s comments though, you would think Soucy would instantly jump into a prominent role and that just hasn’t happened.
The Mets break camp in less than a week, before traveling to Houston to begin the regular season against the Astros on March 27.
The expectations they had entering spring training remain the same with them about to wrap spring training: compete for the NL East title, make the playoffs, and be a legitimate threat to win the World Series.
New York will be challenged early, though, with a handful of key injuries. And those injuries have altered how their roster will look from the jump.
Here is our 26-man roster prediction 3.0 for Opening Day...
REGULAR LINEUP
Luis Torrens: C Pete Alonso: 1B Brett Baty: 2B Francisco Lindor: SS Mark Vientos: 3B Brandon Nimmo: LF Jose Siri: CF Juan Soto: RF Jesse Winker: DH
In Alvarez's place as the starter will be Torrens, who knows the pitching staff and should be able to hold things together.
New York Mets second baseman Brett Baty (7) fields a ground ball during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Clover Park. / Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
The other injury is to Jeff McNeil, who was having a strong spring before going down with a mild oblique issue.
McNeil is only expected to be out until the second or third week of the season, but the Mets will need a regular starter at second base in his stead. And that will be Baty.
Even before McNeil went down, the Mets were getting Baty exposure at second base in addition to third base -- in preparation for him potentially landing a role on the bench.
And Baty has excelled -- adeptly handling second base while looking very good at the plate. He has earned this shot.
Everything else is as expected as it pertains to the regular position players, including Winkeras the designated hitter and Siri as the initial choice to get the bulk of the starts in center field.
New York will begin the season without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, though Manaea has already resumed throwing and should return at some point in April.
The prognosis isn't as promising for Montas, who could be back in May but whose next time on a big league mound will likely come in June.
That means added stress on a unit that was already the Mets' one big question mark when it still had a fully healthy Manaea and Montas.
New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches against the Houston Astros in the third inning at Clover Park / Jim Rassol - Imagn Images
Holmes, who will start on Opening Day, has been mostly dominant in spring training. So there shouldn't be much concern about his stuff translating to a starting role. But it's still fair to wonder about his stamina and how many innings he'll be able to provide.
Peterson will be looking to build off his strong 2024, while Senga -- who has been proceeding deliberately this spring -- is attempting to shake off a year mostly lost to injury.
The back end of the rotation will feature Canning (who seems to be benefiting from the Mets' pitching lab) and Megill (who has yet to find consistency, but has good stuff and some upside).
BULLPEN
Edwin Diaz: CLS A.J. Minter: LHP Reed Garrett: RHP Ryne Stanek:RHP Jose Butto: RHP Max Kranick: RHP Danny Young: LHP Paul Blackburn: RHP
The Mets' bullpen should be a strength this season, and it has a chance to be one of the best in baseball if things break right.
Diaz, Minter, Stanek, and Garrett are legitimate late-inning weapons, while Butto and Kranick -- who are expected to be able to provide multiple innings at a clip -- could be X-factors.
Since Kranick has a minor league option remaining, New York could theoretically have him begin the season in the minors. But with his stuff playing up as he transitions to a full-time relief role and Kranick having been one of the Mets' most dominant pitchers this spring, it makes no sense to not carry him right away.
New York Mets pitcher Max Kranick (32) throws during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Clover Park / Reinhold Matay - Imagn Images
Dedniel Núñez will be a huge part of the relief corps this year after missing the end of last season due to injury, but his first game action of the spring didn't come until March 17. And while Núñez was dominant in that appearance, the guess here is that he'll need a bit longer to get ready.
That would open the door for the Mets to carry Young, who is out of options and will give New York a second left-hander to go along with Minter.
The final spot in the bullpen will go to Blackburn, who is also out of options and can provide serious length if needed.
BENCH
Tyrone Taylor: OF Hayden Senger: C Donovan Walton: INF Starling Marte: DH/OF
The most interesting thing to watch here is the backup infielder role, though this one seems easy to call.
Luisangel Acuñahas been in competition for a bench spot and (recently) the regular second base job with McNeil down for a bit. But unless the Mets think it will benefit them and Acuña for him to be part of a platoon with Baty at second and a bench player the rest of the time, it doesn't make much sense to carry him.
The better plan is to have Acuña begin the year with Triple-A Syracuse, where he can continue to work on his offense. That would mean a spot on the bench for Walton, who has five years of big league experience as a defense-first backup capable of playing third base, shortstop, second base, and corner outfield.
The rest of the bench will be Taylor or Siri (whoever isn't starting in center field that day), Senger (who will be the backup in place of Torrens until Alvarez returns), and Marte.
Marte's inclusion was a bit of a question until recently, with him continuing to deal with a lingering knee issue.
But with Marte's main role as the short end of a DH platoon, it's easy to have him on the roster despite his limited mobility.
Private equity firm Sixth Street has invested in the San Francisco Giants in a deal that includes both the MLB team and its real estate efforts in the city’s downtown waterfront.
That project, a public-private partnership called Mission Rock that sits on land right outside Oracle Park, has been years in the making. The first phase, a reported $1.5 billion series of office and residential buildings, opened in 2023 with three more phases yet to come. Sportico values the team, and its team-related holdings, at $4.2 billion, the fourth highest in MLB.
Sixth Street’s stake will be about 10%, and it is not buying its equity from an existing minority partner, according to a source familiar with the details, who was granted anonymity because the details are private. A rep for Sixth Street declined to comment on the financial terms. Reps for the Giants and Raine Group, which was retained to handle the sale, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Real estate has become a primary way that sports teams leverage their popularity, with mixed-use developments serving as year-round income and ancillary revenue streams. Across town in San Francisco, for example, the Golden State Warriors’ privately financed Chase Center includes two office buildings, 100,000 square feet of mixed-use retail and underground parking. Its development played a critical role in the NBA team’s rapid rise to becoming the league’s most valuable team at $9.14 billion.
In baseball, the example most often cited is The Battery Atlanta, a mixed-use development around the Braves stadium that includes a hotel, residential housing, office space, retail shops and other entertainment spaces. By the Braves’ own accounting, the development has been significantly more profitable than the team itself. In 2024, the Battery reported $45 million in adjusted OIBDA, as opposed to $6.6 million for the baseball team, per the Braves financials.
These real estate opportunities have been particularly attractive to the private equity firms that are investing heavily in sports team ownership. Arctos Partners, the most aggressive firm over the last few years, has bought into the Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers—all of which have significant real estate holdings. Arctos also previously invested in the Giants.
The 28-acre Mission Rock development is located in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, a rapidly changing area that’s home to a slew of biotech and AI startups. That’s a rare success in a city where retail spaces have struggled to stay viable—the San Francisco Chronicle recently called it one of the city’s “most successful redevelopment experiments.” The Giants partnered with real estate developer Tishman Speyer on the project, which broke ground in 2020 and was estimated at the time to take more than a decade to complete.
Giants CEO Larry Baer recently told the Chronicle that no money from the MLB team is diverted to the real estate project, and vice versa.
“We’re 50-50, so it’s not like we can say, ‘Oh, Tishman, sorry, we’ve got an infielder to sign for $25 million,’” he told the newspaper. “I think there’s some confusion, because you see all this stuff going up. It’s like, ‘Oh, the Giants are just rolling in it.’ Well, hopefully one day this will be a really strong asset for this organization. It’s a 50% [ownership] of it. But for now, we’re focused on whatever comes in, goes back into the next phase and into improvements and into retail and the [tenant improvements] and all the different things you have to do to make the project work.”
The Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014, but have made just two playoff appearances since, and total attendance has fallen from its highs a decade ago. In September the team hired former star catcher Buster Posey as its president of baseball operations.
Sixth Street’s other sports holdings include Legends and NWSL club Bay FC, plus minority investments in the San Antonio Spurs, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
PJT Partners advised Sixth Street on the deal, and Latham & Watkins LLP served as its legal counsel.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Chicago White Sox infielder Josh Rojas has a hairline fracture in his right big toe, putting his availability for opening day in question.
Rojas is batting .313 (10 for 32) in his first spring training with the White Sox. He left a split-squad game against Colorado with toe soreness.
“We’re just kind of going to give him treatment and see where it goes,” first-year manager Will Venable told reporters. “I think we just kind of get him doing his treatment and his rehab and kind of take it day by day and see where he’s at. Hopefully he’s back here with us soon.”
The 30-year-old Rojas batted .225 with eight homers and 31 RBIs in 143 games with Seattle last year. He became a free agent in November when Seattle declined to offer him a 2025 contract.
Rojas finalized a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Chicago in January. The White Sox host the Los Angeles Angels for their season opener on March 27.
Chicago optioned outfielder Dominic Fletcher to Triple-A Charlotte. Catching prospects Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero were among 10 players reassigned to minor league camp.
Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one run over five innings in front of 42,365 fans at the Tokyo Dome.
The two teams are set to conclude the two-game series, with the Dodgers looking to return to the states with a 2-0 record.
Here’s how to watch the finale of the Tokyo Series.
When is the Dodgers vs. Cubs game?
The Tokyo Series began Tuesday, March 18 with the Dodgers defeating the Cubs 4-1. The second and final game of the series will be played Wednesday, March 19.
What time is the Dodgers vs. Cubs game?
Set your alarm clock for first pitch — or just stay up really, really late. The second game between the Dodgers and Cubs is set for 3:10 a.m. PT/6:10 a.m. ET.
What channel is the Dodgers vs. Cubs on?
The second game of the Tokyo Series between the Dodgers and Cubs will air on FS1.
How to stream Dodgers vs. Cubs
The game can be streamed live on the Fox Sports App, FOXSports.com and MLB.TV.
Who is pitching in the Dodgers vs. Cubs game?
The Dodgers’ starting pitcher for the second game of the Tokyo Series will be Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, who will make his MLB debut. Pitching for Chicago will be Justin Steele, who went 5-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 24 starts for the Cubs last season.
The 23-year-old Sasaki, who transferred from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, signed with the Dodgers in January as an international amateur free agent.
While pitching for the Chiba Lotte Marines, he posted a 2.02 ERA and racked up 524 strikeouts in just over 414 innings.
In two spring training outings, one in relief and the other as a starter, Sasaki combined to throw seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
When is Opening Day?
Opening Day for most other MLB teams is officially scheduled for Thursday, March 27. The 14-game slate begins with the Milwaukee Brewers against the New York Yankees at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET.
The Dodgers will also be in action for their home opener, facing the Detroit Tigers and reigning American League Cy Young Tarik Skubal at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The Dodgers have not yet announced their starting pitcher for the game.
The Cubs will travel to Arizona to play the Diamondbacks at 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET.
TOKYO — Shortstop Mookie Betts has returned to Los Angeles to continue recovering from an illness that will cause him to miss the Dodgers’ first two games of the regular season at the Tokyo Dome.
Manager Dave Roberts said that the eight-time All-Star wouldn’t play against the Chicago Cubs because of an unspecified illness that’s caused him to lose nearly 15 pounds. The 2018 AL Most Valuable Player is feeling better, but Roberts said Betts needed to return home and recuperate ahead of the team’s domestic opener on March 27.
“Mookie flew home early evening, late afternoon yesterday and arrived safely,” Roberts said. “It just made the most sense for him to get back to a regular routine. That’s kind of where we’re at and we all support it.”
The Cubs and Dodgers open the Major League Baseball season with two games at the Tokyo Dome.
Miguel Rojas is in the starting lineup at shortstop.
Betts started to feel sick the day before the team left for Japan but the shortstop still made the trip. He went through a workout but quickly became tired.
Betts is making the full-time transition to shortstop this season after playing most of his career in right field and second base. The 2018 AL MVP hit .289 with 19 homers and 75 RBIs last season, helping the Dodgers win the World Series.
If there ever was a Rangers man in the dugout, Barry Ferguson is that.
The former midfielder and ambassador was drafted in the take the reins on an interim basis as there was a strong belief he'd be able to galvanise and, in his own words, "put an arm around some players and give some others a clip behind the ear".
It's safe to say so far, he's succeeding.
But former striker Rory Loy believes there's much more to this Rangers revival than simply having "a man who gets it" in charge.
"A lot of people put it down to Barry Ferguson being an ex-Rangers man, someone who knows the club and who has this heart and drive to take the team," Loy said on the Scottish Football Podcast.
"That's all a small added bonus, to me.
"I think he's able to convey clear instructions, that's the difference.
"It's almost like the players know the gameplan now. They know the instruction and they just need to go and carry it out.
"Under the previous manager, the last couple of managers, it was almost like they just didn't know what they were doing.
"The difference now is Barry Ferguson has been able to convey a clear message that players can understand and follow."
TOKYO — Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw five strong innings, Shohei Ohtani had two hits and scored twice, and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 on Tuesday in Major League Baseball's season opener at the Tokyo Dome.
Playing in front of their home country, Yamamoto and Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga both pitched well in the first all-Japanese starting pitching matchup on opening day in MLB history. Imanaga threw four scoreless innings, allowing no hits but walking four.
The Dodgers jumped on Cubs reliever Ben Brown (0-1) in the fifth, scoring three runs, partly because of a throwing error by second baseman Jon Berti. Tommy Edman and Will Smith had RBI singles.
Ohtani was part of the rally, delivering a hard-hit single through the right side. He finished 2 for 5 at the plate, including a double to lead off the ninth, eventually scoring another run.
Yamamoto (1-0) gave up one run on three hits and a walk, striking out four. Tanner Scott earned his first save.
Chicago's Miguel Amaya drove in Dansby Swanson with a two-out double that made it 1-0 in the second. The Cubs didn't have a hit after the third.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was scratched before the game because of left rib discomfort. Shortstop Mookie Betts will miss both games in Japan because of an illness.
Ohtani's single was the first hit of the game for the Dodgers, helping start a rally that would turn the game in their favor.
Yamamoto, Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius and Blake Treinen combined to retire 16 batters in a row from the third to the eighth innings. The streak ended when Treinen hit Berti with a pitch with one out in the eighth.
Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki will make his MLB debut for the Dodgers while left-hander Justin Steele takes the mound for the Cubs on Wednesday night for the final game in Tokyo.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani goes back to the dugout after scoring on a throwing error by the Cubs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
For all the memorable cultural experiences they enjoyed off the field, and all their eye-opening revelations they about the club’s growing popularity here in Japan, the baseball side of the Dodgers’ season-opening trip to Tokyo hadn’t gotten off to the most seamless of starts.
Mookie Betts was ruled out of action after arriving in Tokyo battling a stomach virus, and eventually forced to make an early return home to Los Angeles on Monday night after losing almost 15 pounds.
Freddie Freeman was scratched from the opening-day lineup shortly before first pitch Tuesday night, after experiencing discomfort in the same left rib where he suffered broken cartilage during last year’s postseason.
And, after getting shut out in a Sunday exhibition against a Japanese team at the Tokyo Dome, the Dodgers began their season without a hit for the first four innings against Chicago Cubs ace and star Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga, twice coming up empty in innings they drew two walks.
But then, the defending World Series champions started doing exactly what their nearly $400-million roster was built to do.
They worked counts, strung together hits and manufactured runs. They leaned on dominant starting pitching, then a revolving door of reliable arms out of the bullpen. They absorbed an early one-run deficit and flipped it in a matter of moments in the fifth inning.
By the end of the night, it amounted to an auspicious start to a season of ambitious expectations, the Dodgers beating the Cubs 4-1 before a pro-Dodgers crowd on the other side of the globe.
“It was really cool,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “It’s always cool to experience different baseball cultures. I know we get a little spoiled playing at Dodger Stadium and our atmosphere is always amazing. But it’s just fun to experience different cultures.”
This week’s trip always was destined to be about more than just playing baseball. It was a culmination of sorts in the Dodgers’ pursuit to “paint Japan blue,” and an opportunity to showcase the sport at large at a time the influence of Japanese players in the majors seemingly is at an all-time high.
“I don’t think that there was a Japanese baseball player in Japan that didn’t watch this game tonight,” manager Dave Roberts said.
The Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto squared off against Imanaga in the first all-Japanese opening-day pitching matchup in major league history, giving up just one run in five strong innings while striking out four and averaging almost 97 mph with his fastball.
Another highly anticipated pitching plan awaits in Wednesday’s finale, when Roki Sasaki will make his big league debut barely two months removed from his offseason signing with the Dodgers.
And then there was Shohei Ohtani, who had cameras following his every move during pregame ceremonies and caused a hush to fall over the sold-out crowd when he came to the plate for the first time.
“I usually don’t get nervous hitting,” Ohtani said in Japanese afterward.
But in that at-bat, he acknowledged, “I was nervous for the first time in a while.”
Determined not to walk, Ohtani took a big swing that resulted in a game-opening ground out, setting the tone for Imanaga’s dominant but shortened four-inning start.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani singles in the fifth inning for the team's first hit of the game against the Cubs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Once Imanaga left the game, however, Ohtani played a key role in the Dodgers’ three-run rally in the fifth. He hit a one-out single, the Dodgers’ first hit, that preceded Tommy Edman’s game-tying single. Ohtani then scored the go-ahead run on an errant throw from Cubs second baseman Jon Berti on a potential double play.
Ohtani contributed again in the ninth, roping a double into the right-field corner before scoring an insurance run on Teoscar Hernández’s single.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Shohei nervous,” Roberts said. “But one thing I did notice is how emotional he got during the Japanese national anthem. That was really something that was very telling, how emotional he was.”
Once the Dodgers took the lead, however, cruising the rest of the way behind a dominant bullpen performance punctuated by offseason signing Tanner Scott’s first save with the club, Ohtani seemed to loosen up in the dugout, laughing with teammates and soaking in the scene.
“That’s who he is,” Muncy said. “There’s no moment that’s too big for that guy. He hasn’t changed who he is. He’s a really cool guy to be a teammate with. He’s going to be talked about probably when he’s done as being the greatest baseball player ever and he doesn’t act like it. He just likes to have fun in that dugout.”
Someone who was having less fun being stuck in the dugout: Freeman, who said he “felt something” in his ribs during his last round of batting practice, leading to a pregame meeting with Roberts, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes in which they decided it was best to play it safe and sit the reigning World Series most valuable player.
“I got out-ruled,” Freeman joked. “It’s OK. It was probably smart. It’s obviously way better than last year. Last year I needed help getting to my car that first day [I got hurt]. I can walk. I can take deep breaths. Just felt a little something in my rib, and with it being the first game, we didn’t want it to be something lingering.”
Freeman said he has a 75% chance of playing Wednesday, assuming his rib doesn't bother him again during pregame activities. He added that the team’s head physician, Neal ElAttrache, told him the sensation might just have been the result of scar-tissue buildup where his old injury healed, perhaps coinciding with his increased cage work in recent days (Freeman was the only Dodgers position player to hit during Monday’s off-day workout).
“I thought we made the right decision not playing him tonight, and we’ll see how he comes in tomorrow,” Roberts said. “So right now, I’m not too concerned.”
So goes things for the Dodgers. They’ve weathered their first bouts of adversity on the field. They’ve embraced a trip that has put them on an international stage. And on Tuesday they did it while also starting their season with a thorough victory, setting up the opportunity for a two-game sweep.
“How the fans were into the game tonight was just really cool, really fun, really enjoyed it,” Muncy said. “They’re here to watch good baseball and I think they’re enjoying it just as much as we are.”
The Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched five innings of one-run ball on Tuesday against the Cubs at the Tokyo Dome. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
When Roki Sasaki signed with the Dodgers, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman revealed that one of Sasaki’s goals was to become the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young Award.
Another pitcher on the Dodgers could steal that distinction from Sasaki, and the most likely candidate might not even be Shohei Ohtani.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto could beat his two countrymen to the honor, and considering how he pitched in the Dodgers’ season-opening 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome, who’s to say he won’t?
“If he can do that, obviously health [permitting], I see no reason why he won’t be in the Cy Young conversation,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
This wasn’t the pitcher who looked unsure of himself over an up-and-down regular season last year. This was the pitcher who was an October hero.
Yamamoto touched 98 mph with his fastball. He baited hitters with splitters that looked like strikes but weren’t. He limited the Cubs to one run and three hits over five innings.
The performance confirmed what Dodgers players and coaches said in spring training: The 26-year-old Yamamoto returned for his second major league season a different pitcher.
“You know he’s electric when his teammates that are professional pitchers are telling you, ‘Hey, Doc, watch him,’” team physician Neal ElAttrache told Jack Harris and me on The Times’ video podcast Dodgers Debate.
ElAttrache said he complimented rehabilitating veteran Clayton Kershaw after a recent long-toss session, and Kershaw told him, “You want to see something special, watch Yamamoto do this.”
Yamamoto pointed to an improved feel for his pitching mechanics as to why he’s looked the way he has.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto flashed enormous potential during Tuesday's Tokyo Series opener against the Cubs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“I threw with a good center of gravity, good balance,” Yamamoto said in Japanese. “I wasn’t trying to throw with greater strength than usual, but I thought I was able to throw pitches to which my strength was transferred.”
What made him special Tuesday night was what he did with those pitches.
“Last year to this year, the confidence, the conviction that he has in throwing the fastball in the strike zone, he’s much more convicted,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers’ postseason run that ended with a World Series championship is why, according to Yamamoto.
“What I experienced in that month really made me confident,” Yamamoto said. “If I do this, I’ll get hit. If I feel like this and do this, I’ll be able to hold them. I didn’t have a precise feel for that last season, but I gained that sense in October.”
His average fastball velocity was 96.8 mph against the Cubs, up from his season average of 95.5 last year, according to Major League Baseball’s Statcast system.
The fastball alone troubled the Cubs. Throw in his splitter and they had little to no chance.
“His splits were outstanding tonight,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “They’re 93, 94 on the split-finger. It’s a pitch that you hope to get a couple of free ones on because they’re out of the zone. But he threw so many competitive splits. It’s a really tough pitch to lay off.”
The uncertainty with Yamamoto pertains to whether he can stay healthy. He was sidelined for nearly three months last year because of shoulder problems.
“He had the kind of injury that if you catch it early, you can prevent it from going south,” ElAttrache said. “When that injury goes south, it can be pretty significant.
“When we explained to him what we needed to do and why, he wasn’t happy about sitting for that length of time. He was constantly saying that he felt good enough to come back, but he went along with it.
“I think that you see how he played towards the end of the season. He was really important for us.”
Yamamoto had a disastrous postseason debut, giving up five runs in three innings to the San Diego Padres in the opening game of the National League Division Series. However, counting his victory in Game 5 of that series, he went 2-0 with a 1.72 earned-run average over his next three playoff starts.
“I feel that’s connected to the confidence I have when I take the mound [now],” Yamamoto said.
Standing 5 feet 10, Yamamoto doesn’t have the physical frame of either Ohtani or Sasaki. He doesn’t throw as hard. But he could be a better pitcher than either of them, and that could earn him his own place in history.
After weeks of spring training, MLB teams across the country are gearing up for Opening Day — and two have already played their first game over in Japan. While it may still be chilly in some cities in late March, warmer days are ahead — and baseball is a sure sign of it.
So, when exactly are the first games of the new season? Who is playing on Opening Day? And where can you watch all the games?
Here’s a preview for 2025 MLB Opening Day:
When is MLB Opening Day in 2025?
MLB Opening Day is officially scheduled for March 27, 2025.
Two games will air nationally on Opening Day: Brewers-Yankees and Tigers-Dodgers.
The two pennant winners from last season will both host Central division interleague foes.
First up, the Brewers travel to Yankees Stadium at 3 p.m. ET with Joe Buck on the call alongside Joe Girardi and Bill Schroeder. The “Monday Night Football” broadcaster hasn’t called an MLB game nationally since joining ESPN, but he was formerly the voice of FOX’s World Series coverage continuously from 2000 to 2021.
In the nightcap at 7 p.m. ET, reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will face the defending World Series winners. The Dodgers picked up a win in Tokyo in their season-opener with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, but their starting pitcher for Opening Day stateside is still to be announced.
