00:00We're just about ready for first pitch.
00:03The Dodgers and the Cubs starting the 2025 season in grand fashion here at the Tokyo Dome in front of
00:09a sellout crowd.
00:11You know, it was an American professor that brought the game to Japan 150 years ago.
00:16Now Japan has given back so much.
00:1982 players you mentioned have come from Japan to the big leagues.
00:2213 currently on big league rosters.
00:25Five in this series including Otani.
00:27You know, what a display this is, what a scene this is for baseball in Japan and across the globe.
00:34Imanaga is a rookie last year.
00:35A sparkling first impression right away with his personality and then with his pitching.
00:40Went 15-3 with a 2-9-1.
00:43Much less heralded than Yamamoto coming over.
00:45Signed the four-year contract but outperformed him and outperformed just about every rookie in the National League.
00:52Finished top five in Cy Young voting and the opening day starter here in his second year.
00:56It's Shohei Otani who has been at the center of attention all week.
01:00Ready to face show to Imanaga to get this game started.
01:04On this 1-1 pitch.
01:07Otani hits a hard ground ball to second for John Birdie.
01:11And there's the first out.
01:12Tommy Edmonds, which hitter batting right-handed.
01:15Last year's NLCS MVP.
01:17In the air, but also in the infield.
01:21Bush, two away.
01:22Two up, two down in this first inning for Imanaga.
01:25In an 0-2 hole, Imanaga gets him swinging.
01:29And promptly, 1-2-3 on nine pitches to get his season started.
01:33Here is the 26-year-old from Bizen, Japan, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
01:39In his second season with the Dodgers, the opening day starter back in his home country.
01:44He's home with a payoff.
01:45And Happ takes outside to start this game with a walk.
01:49Good hand for Seya Suzuki out of Arakawa, Japan.
01:53In the northeastern part of Tokyo, nine pro seasons in Japan.
01:58Perennial all-star.
01:59He was the cleanup man for the national team.
02:01Breaks his bat.
02:02A little teardrop up the middle that's caught by Miguel Rojas.
02:06Sawed him off right there for the first out.
02:08Here's Kyle Tucker.
02:09Comes big addition this offseason.
02:11Takes the sting out of it.
02:13Bounced back to Yamamoto.
02:14Thought about going to second.
02:16Settles for the out at first.
02:17Two gone and half in the scoring position.
02:20Good job by Yamamoto just to take the easy out.
02:22Not trying to make the great play early on in the ballgame.
02:25You're just trying to get out.
02:26He's got two of them in this first inning and now faces the former Dodger, Michael Bush.
02:32The fastball is lifted to center field.
02:35Randy Pajes puts it away.
02:37And Yamamoto pitches around the leadoff walk.
02:40After an inning in Tokyo.
02:41No score.
02:42And Imanaga has walked back-to-back Dodgers to start the top of the second inning.
02:47Will Smith down to second.
02:49Two on.
02:50Nobody out for Kike Hernandez.
02:52Popped up.
02:53Michael Bush went away.
02:56With Shota's style of pitching, you can see a lot of balls in the air.
03:00Much more of a fly ball type pitcher than a ground ball pitcher.
03:03Popped up towards third.
03:04Matt Shaw makes the catch.
03:07Now Miguel Rojas wearing his new number 72.
03:10It's hitting the air to left.
03:12Ian Happ calls off Dansby Swanson, makes the catch, and Shota Imanaga gets out of the inning.
03:18Nothing, nothing.
03:18Let's go to the bottom of the second.
03:20Cubs have a pretty beefy schedule the first month of the season.
03:23They get through April at .500.
03:26I would think that would be pretty good news.
03:29Dansby hits it up the middle, and it's into center field for a base hit.
03:34First hit for the Cubs in 2025.
03:36It's courtesy of Dansby Swanson here in the second.
03:39Here's PCA.
03:41Yamamoto's pitch.
03:42Here's a ground ball hit to the right side.
03:43Edmond has it.
03:44Backhands flips on to first quickly.
03:46So the Cubs have had a runner in scoring position in both innings so far.
03:50Yamamoto will try to pitch around it again as the young catcher from Panama, Miguel Amaya, stands in.
03:55That's it.
03:56Well, right center field into the gap.
03:58Pahe's back.
03:59He can't make the catch.
04:01Little one hopped the wall.
04:02Dansby scores.
04:04Amaya to second.
04:05Cubs lead 1-0 here in the second.
04:08Tries to beat him with a fastball upstairs.
04:09It's a real nice, powerful swing.
04:11Headrate on it.
04:12Gets good extension.
04:14Ah, man.
04:14It's been awesome seeing Otani here in Japan.
04:17You know what kind of impact he's got across the globe.
04:21This has got to be a split right here.
04:23Wow!
04:24Rifle to second.
04:26I wouldn't throw that to him.
04:27I think that was the slider.
04:28I mean, that was a hard-hit line drive, almost 100 miles an hour off the bat.
04:33And Imanaga, who we mentioned, had the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the National League last year.
04:38Has a new career-high four walks over the first three-plus innings.
04:43Now, they've leaned down him a little bit.
04:44Had back-to-back walks to open the second and then went one, two, three.
04:47Putting the pressure on again here in the fourth with Quique Hernandez coming to the plate.
04:52That's hit in the air to center field.
04:54Pete, he's back.
04:55He's at the warning track, and he makes the catch.
04:59Throw to third is not at time.
05:00He'll bring runners at the corners with two outs.
05:02Knives his one into shadow left field.
05:04And for the second time in the first four innings, the Dodgers let Imanaga off of the hook.
05:08He pitches around a pair of walks.
05:10No hits through four innings for L.A.
05:12Throwing a ball into a brick wall, and he did it so often that he carved a little divot into
05:17the brick wall as the years went on.
05:19Ben Brown is on to replace Imanaga.
05:21Four scoreless innings.
05:22Didn't give up a hit.
05:24Pahez takes the walk, and a man aboard for Ohtani.
05:27They haven't had hits, but they've had five walks so far.
05:31No for two against Imanaga.
05:32He now sets his sights on Brown.
05:34Scorched to the right side, and it's Ohtani that's provided the first hit for the Dodgers.
05:40Pahez goes first to third.
05:41And he delivers for these fans as he always does.
05:45107 off of the bat of Shohei Ohtani.
05:48Now third time in the last four innings, the Dodgers have had two runners aboard.
05:52Now trying to take advantage with Tommy Edmund coming up.
05:56Smacks one left side.
05:57Diving try, but it's down for a hit.
06:00Throw is late, and the game is tied.
06:04Tommy Edmund brings in Andy Pahez with a base hit to left field.
06:08Well, they go four-plus innings without a hit, and then get two of them on back-to-back pitches.
06:14Hernandez chops one to third.
06:16Shaw will go to second for one.
06:18Throw to first is high, and it allows the Dodgers to take the lead.
06:23Ohtani's in to score on a throwing error, and it's two to one Los Angeles.
06:28Throw got out of play, so Hernandez will get second.
06:31John Birdie in his first game with the Cubs has turned this game with a throwing error.
06:36Digs this one out.
06:37He's got a base hit to left center that will bring home Hernandez.
06:41Three to one Dodgers as Will Smith knocks in his first run of the year.
06:45Dodgers threw to the first four innings, had a total of four base runners, and all those were on walks.
06:51The fifth inning, four base runners, three hits, three runs.
06:55Two outs on two pitches.
06:57Yamamoto's saying, let me do something.
06:59Not even breaking his sweat in this inning.
07:01And a one, two, three, fifth inning.
07:03Pinpoint with the fastball from Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
07:07Brown playing with fire here.
07:09Three and O on the nine-hitter with Ohtani waiting on deck.
07:12Yeah, and he did it last time, too.
07:14You know, this is a guy that you just got to go right after, and I'm sure he's trying to
07:18do it.
07:19But, man, fall behind and potentially walk him again for the second time.
07:23He's not even really been close.
07:25There's a four-pitch walk to Pajas, and you've got to figure that that presence on deck,
07:31that was looming like a defensive back bearing down on a receiver coming over the middle.
07:36You sense him coming.
07:37It was as if Brown sensed Ohtani's presence.
07:39And now he's got to deal with him.
07:42Two on, two out.
07:44Couldn't lay off.
07:46And Brown, after the four-pitch walk that Pajas delivers a three-pitch strikeout to Ohtani.
07:52Oh, Shohei Ohtani.
07:54So hot right now.
07:56Everywhere, in every form, including in the batter's box to lead off the nine.
08:01Down the line, his second hit of the ball game.
08:04This one goes to the wall.
08:07Ohtani starts the ninth with a double.
08:10His second hit of this ball game, and his second one clocked at 107 miles per hour.
08:16Just stays on that pitch.
08:18Doesn't get out over his front foot, but keeps the bat going through the zone.
08:23You know, it just looks so gracious.
08:25It just...
08:26Tommy Edmund moves him up here.
08:29He's at third for Teoscar Hernandez.
08:31Space hit to left field for Hernandez to score Ohtani.
08:34Ohtani, from an early age, though, was taught to be free to show his emotions, be free to have fun.
08:40This is a game.
08:42He loved it as a kid.
08:43He was encouraged as a kid to feel free to show that.
08:46Feel free to enjoy it.
08:47Ain't nothing wrong with that.
08:48So that smile that you see with him on base there that you pointed out, E.K., that was fostered.
08:54And the Dodger debut coming here to try and finish this game off.
08:58It's Tanner Scott, who led the National League last year with a 1-7-4 ERA
09:02and signed the top free agent deal for any reliever this offseason,
09:06a four-year contract to join the Dodgers.
09:10For the Cubs in the ninth, Tucker, Bush, and Shaw.
09:13That's 3-4 and 5, due up.
09:16Tucker swings at the first pitch, slashes a line, drive to left of Conforto, slides on to catch.
09:22Who delivers 2-2 to Turner.
09:24Fly ball center field.
09:26Pajes into the gap.
09:28Two up and two down in the ninth.
09:30The Cubs now 0 for their last 20 with seven Ks.
09:34Back to the start of the third inning.
09:360-2 to Shaw.
09:37Swing and a miss.
09:38That does it.
09:39Dodgers win on opening day in Japan.
09:424-1 the final score.
09:44The offense, four runs.
09:47The pitching, dominant.
09:49The five innings from Yamamoto.
09:50And then the bullpen, four no-hit innings.
09:52Just one base runner against four different pitchers.
09:56And the champions start the repeat path with a win over the Cubs.
10:021-800-799-135-2013-2020.
10:026-1-0-899.
