Dodgers vs. Cubs Tokyo Series Game Highlights (3/18/25) | MLB Highlights

We're just about ready for first pitch the Dodgers and the Cubs starting the twenty twenty five season in grand fashion here at the Tokyo Dome in front of a sellout crowd. You know it was an American professor that brought the game to Japan. Hundred and fifty years ago now Japan has given back so much. Eighty two players you mentioned have come from Japan to the big leagues 13 currently on big league rosters five in this series including Ohtani. What a display this is what a scene this is for baseball in Japan and across the globe. Even as a rookie last year a sparkling first impression right away with his personality and then with his pitching went 15 and three with a 2 9 1 much less heralded than Yamamoto coming over signed the four year contract but outperformed him and outperformed just about every rookie in the National League finished top five and Cy Young voting in the opening day starter here in his second year. So hey Ohtani who has been at the center of attention all week ready to face show team in Naga to get this game started on this one one pitch Ohtani hits a hard ground ball a second for John Birdie. There's the first out Tommy Edmonds which hitter batting right handed last year's NLCS MVP in the air but also in the infield Bush to a way to up to down in this first inning for him and Naga in an 0 2 hole. He Managa gets him swinging and promptly one two three on nine pitches to get his season started. Here is the 26 year old from Beeson Japan Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his second season with the Dodgers the opening day starter back in his home country. He's home with a payoff and half takes outside to start this game with a walk. Good hand for say a Suzuki out of Arakawa Japan in the northeastern part of Tokyo nine pro seasons in Japan perennial all star. He was the cleanup man for the national team breaks his bat a little teardrop up the middle that's caught by Miguel Rojas saw him off right there for the first out. Here's Kyle Tucker comes big addition this offseason takes a sting out of it bounce back to Yamamoto thought about going to second settles for the out at first to gone and happened to score in position. Good job by Yamamoto just to take the easy out not trying to make the great play early on in the ballgame. You're just trying to get out. He's got two of them in this first inning and now faces the former Dodger Michael Bush. The fastball is lifted to centerfield Randy Pajas puts it away and Yamamoto pitches around the leadoff walk after an inning in Tokyo. No score and even Naga has walked back to back Dodgers to start the top of the second inning. Will Smith down the second he can do on nobody out for Kike Hernandez popped up Michael Bush one away with showed his style of pitching you can see a lot of balls in the air much more of a fly ball type pitcher than a ground ball pitcher popped up towards third Matt Shaw makes the catch now Miguel Rojas wearing his new number 72 in the air to left in half calls off Dansby Swanson makes the catch and show to him and Naga gets out of the nothing nothing let's go to the bottom of the second comes to a pretty beefy schedule the first month of the season they get through April at five hundred I think it would be pretty good news Dansby hits it up the middle and it's in the center field for a base hit first hit for the Cubs in 2025 it's courtesy of Dansby Swanson here in the second year's PCA Yamamoto's pitchers a ground ball hit to the right side Edmund has it back hands flips on the first quickly so the Cubs have had a runner in scoring position in both innings so far Yamamoto will try to pitch around it again as the young catcher from Panama Miguel Amaya stands in that's it well right center field into the gap Pahe's back he can't make the catch for the one half the wall Dansby scores Amaya at a second Cubs lead one to nothing here in the second tries to beat him with a fastball upstairs it's a real nice powerful swing head right on it gets good extension man it's been awesome seeing Otani here in Japan you know what kind of impact he's got across the globe this has got to be a fastball player here right from the second I wouldn't throw that to him I think that was the slider I mean that was a hard hit line drive almost 100 miles an hour off the bat and even Naga who we mentioned had the best strikeout to walk ratio in the National League last year has a new career high four walks over the first three plus innings now they've leaned down him a little bit head back to back walks to open the second and then went one two three and put the pressure on again here in the fourth with Kiki Hernandez coming to the plate that's hit in the air the center field he's back he's at the warning track and he makes the catch throw to third is not in time will bring runners at the corners with two outs nice is one in the shadow left field and for the second time in the first four innings the Dodgers let him and I go off with a hook he pitches around a pair of walks no hits through four innings for L.A. throwing a ball into a brick wall and he did it so often that he carved a little divot into the brick wall as the years went on Ben Brown is on to replace him in Naga for scoreless innings didn't give up a hit Pajas takes the walk and a man aboard for Ohtani they haven't had hits but they've had five walks so far no for two against Simon Naga now sets his sights on Brown scorched to the right side and it's Ohtani that's provided the first hit for the Dodgers Pajas goes first to third and he delivers for these fans as he always does one hundred seven off of the bat to show he Ohtani now third time in the last four innings the Dodgers have had two runners aboard. I'll try to take advantage with Tommy Edmond coming up smacks one left side diving try but it's down for a hit throw is late and the game is tied. Tommy Edmond brings in Andy Pajas with a base hit to left field. Well they go four plus innings without a hit and then get two of them on back to back pitches Hernandez chops one to third Shaw will go to second for one and throw to first is high and it allows the Dodgers to take the lead. Ohtani is in the score on a throwing error and it's two to one Los Angeles throw got out of play. So Hernandez will get second John Birdie in his first game with the Cubs has turned this game with a throwing error digs this one out. He's got a base hit to left center that will bring home Hernandez three to one Dodgers as Will Smith backs in his first run of the year. Dodgers through the first four innings had a total of four base runners and all those were on walks the fifth inning for base runners three hits three runs two outs on two pitches. Yamamoto saying let me do something not even breaking a sweat in this inning. And a one two three fifth inning pinpoint with the fastball from Yoshinobu Yamamoto Brown playing with fire here three and on the nine hitter with Ohtani waiting on deck. Yeah he did it last time too. You know he this is a guy that you just got to go right after and I'm sure he's trying to do it. But man fall behind and potentially walk him again for the second time and not even really been close. There's a four pitch walk to Pajas and you've got to figure that that presence on deck that was looming like a defensive back bearing down on a receiver coming over the middle you sense him coming. I was as if Brown sensed Ohtani his presence and now he's got to deal with him two on two out. After the four pitch walk to Pajas delivers a three pitch strikeout to Ohtani. Oh show Ohtani so hot right now everywhere in every form including in the batter's box to lead off the. His second hit of the ballgame. This one goes to the wall. Ohtani starts the ninth with a double his second hit of this ballgame and his second one clocked at one hundred seven miles per hour. Just stays on that pitch doesn't get out over his front foot but keeps the bat going through the zone. You know it just looks so gracious and just Tommy Edmonds moves him up here. He's a third for tasker Hernandez pays it to left field for Hernandez to score Ohtani Ohtani from an early age that was taught to be free to show his emotions be free to have fun that this is a game. He loved it as a kid he was encouraged as a kid to feel free to show that feel free to enjoy it. Nothing wrong with that. So that smile that you see with him on base there that you pointed out he came that was fostered and a Dodger debut coming here to try and finish this game off it's Tanner Scott who led the National League last year with a 1 7 4 ERA and signed the top free agent deal for any reliever this offseason a four year contract to join the Dodgers. For the Cubs in the nine Tucker Bush and Shaw that's three four and five do up Tucker swings at the first pitch slashes a line drive the left at Conforto slides on to catch or delivers to two to Turner fly ball center field Pahez into the gap two up and two down in the ninth the Cubs now 0 for their last 20 with seven K's back to the start of the third inning 0 2 to Shaw swing and a miss that does it. Dodgers win on opening day in Japan 4 to 1 the final score the offense four runs the pitching dominant the five innings from Yamamoto and then the bullpen for no hit innings just one base runner against four different pitchers and the champions start the repeat path with a win over the Cubs.