The 2025 Major League Baseball season is officially underway.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs have the honor of getting things started in the two-game Tokyo Series.
With Japan natives Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga taking the mound and a sellout crowd packing the Tokyo Dome, the Dodgers began defense of the World Series title they won last fall by claiming a 4-1 victory in the season opener.
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Reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani singled, doubled and scored a pair of runs to lead the L.A. offense. Yamamoto earned the victory, giving up one run and three hits, while striking out four in five innings. Tanner Scott picked up the save in his Dodgers debut after signing a $72 million deal with the Dodgers this winter.
The two teams are back at it Wednesday, with the final game of the series slated for 6 a.m. ET. Rōki Sasaki will make his MLB debut for the Dodgers, opposed by lefty Justin Steele for the Cubs.
Here’s how Tuesday’s game unfolded at the Tokyo Dome:
Shohei Ohtani sets up Dodgers insurance run
In the top of the ninth with the Dodgers clinging to a two-run lead, Ohtani hit a one-out double into the right-field corner. Ohtani moved to third on Tommy Edman’s groundout and then came in to score his second run of the game on Teoscar Hernandez’s RBI single to left field, expanding the Los Angeles lead to 4-1.
To the ninth: Dodgers 3, Cubs 1
The Cubs and Dodgers have been trading zeroes, heading into the ninth inning with Los Angeles leading 3-1. Both teams squandered scoring opportunities in the eighth, each unable to bring in a runner from second with one out.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto done after five
Starting the MLB season opener in his return to Japan, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched five strong innings for the Dodgers, giving up one run on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Anthony Banda came on to pitch the sixth inning with Yamamoto in line for the win departing with a 3-1 lead.
Dodgers take 3-1 lead in fifth
The Dodgers finally broke through in the top of the fifth inning.
Held hitless through the first four frames against Cubs starter Shōta Imanaga, the defending World Series champs jumped on reliever Ben Brown for three runs in the fifth.
After center fielder Andy Pages drew a one-out walk, Shohei Ohtani recorded the Dodgers’ first hit with a sharp single to right field. Tommy Edman then tied the game at 1 with an RBI single to left. Ohtani scored the go-ahead run when Teoscar Hernandez grounded into a force out. And Hernandez came around to score after advancing on a throwing error and a Will Smith single.
Through five innings, the Dodgers lead 3-1.
Shōta Imanaga holds Dodgers hitless through four
The Chicago Cubs got pretty much everything they wanted out of starting pitcher Shōta Imanaga.
Imanaga departed after tossing four no-hit innings against the Dodgers – and doing it in an unexpected way. The control expert walked four of the 16 batters he faced. Those four walks were more than he had in any of his 29 starts last season. Yet he also got 12 swinging strikes in his four innings of work.
Ben Brown came on to replace Imanaga in the top of the fifth.
Miguel Amaya puts Dodgers in front
With two outs in the bottom of the second, Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya laced an RBI double to right center field off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, bringing home Dansby Swanson for the first run of the 2025 MLB season.
Chicago leads 1-0 heading into the third inning.
Shōta Imanaga works out of trouble
The Cubs starter walked Will Smith and Max Muncy to begin the top of the second, but got Enrique Hernandez, Michael Conforto and Miguel Rojas all to pop out, ending the threat.
Why is Freddie Freeman not playing?
Already missing one MVP in their lineup, the Los Angeles Dodgers don’t have a second one either as they open the MLB season in Japan. First baseman Freddie Freeman was scratched just before first pitch against the Chicago Cubs due to what the team said was left rib discomfort.
Freeman, the 2020 NL Most Valuable Player, was hobbling the last time the Dodgers played – as he was slowed by an ankle injury during last year’s World Series, though he still won MVP honors.
Kike Hernandez moved from left field to replace Freeman at first base in the Dodgers lineup against Cubs starter Shōta Imanaga. Michael Conforto, who wasn’t in the original lineup, took Hernandez’s place in left.
Shōta Imanaga tosses 1-2-3 first
The 2025 MLB season is officially underway with the Cubs lefty setting the Dodgers down in order in the top of the first inning.
Kosuke Fukudome throws first pitch
Former Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday. Fukudome joined the Cubs prior to the 2008 season and was an All-Star as a rookie, ultimately returning to Japan after five years in MLB.
Dodgers lineup today
Cubs lineup today
Dodgers vs. Cubs pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shōta Imanaga
RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers – 7-2, 3.00 ERA in 2024: Was limited to 18 starts in first year of $325 million deal, but went 2-0 in four postseason starts.
LHP Shota Imanaga, Cubs – 15-3, 2.91 ERA in 2024: The 31-year-old was an All-Star and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting as a rookie last season.
Shohei Ohtani gets hero’s welcome in Japan
Masanori Murakami traveled to San Francisco 61 years ago this month on his way to becoming the first Japanese player in Major League Baseball.
On Tuesday, five of his countrymen, including national hero Shohei Ohtani, will don MLB uniforms in Tokyo as the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs in their season opener.
‘Everyone in Japan is going to be watching for Ohtani on TV,’ said Murakami, 80, who played for the San Francisco Giants in the mid 1960s and plans to attend the two-game series this week. ‘The old people say ‘he’s such a good boy,’ and the young girls say ‘oh, he’s so cool.” – Reuters
Mookie Betts illness keeps Dodgers star off roster
The Dodgers won’t have one of their top players when they open the 2025 MLB season.
Shortstop Mookie Betts will not play in the two-game series against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo due to an illness that’s caused him to lose 15 pounds, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Monday. Betts, an eight-time All-Star, has been battling an illness for the past week and although he’s feeling better, Roberts said he’s still trying to regain his strength.
‘He’s not going to play in these two games,’ Roberts said. ‘When you’re dehydrated, that’s what opens a person up to soft tissue injuries. We’re very mindful of that.’
– Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
Tokyo Dome dimensions
It’s 328 feet down the lines and 400 feet to center field at the Tokyo Dome.
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