Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani celebrates his double in the ninth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the Chicago Cubs in the first inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, left, talks with home plate umpire Bill Miller, right, in the eighth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Michael Conforto reaches up to catch a fly out by Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Tucker in the sixth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Ben Casparius works against the Chicago Cubs in the seventh inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani jogs to the dugout after scoring in the fifth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Anthony Banda throws to the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Andy Pages, front center, celebrates with teammates in the dugout afer Pages scored on a Tommy Edman single in the fifth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki holds on to his broken bat after grounding out in the first inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Andy Pages of the Dodgers hits in the top of the third inning during the MLB Tokyo Series game against Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome on March 18, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
People wait in queue to enter an official shop before an MLB Japan Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
People wait in queue to enter an official shop before an MLB Japan Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
A couple wears cap featuring the pet dog of Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, before an MLB Japan Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, left, and Teoscar Hernandez, right, joke as they stand in the dugout in the eighth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning of an MLB Japan Series baseball game in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
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TOKYO — With Sadaharu Oh, Pikachu and Yoshiki – not to mention returning heroes Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto – there was no shortage of star power at the Tokyo Dome for MLB’s season opener.
But the Dodgers were down some wattage with both Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman missing. Betts was sent home Monday after dealing with an illness for the past week. Freeman was scratched from the lineup before Tuesday’s season opener with rib discomfort. Freeman played through a rib cartilage injury during last year’s postseason run.
Nonetheless, the Dodgers’ 2025 season began the way their 2024 season ended – with a fifth-inning rally that saw them take advantage of poor defense, this time in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs Tuesday in Tokyo.
Ohtani and Yamamoto were in the middle of things with Yamamoto holding the Cubs to one run on three hits in the first five innings and Ohtani doing his part with two hits and two runs scored.
Greeted by loud cheers from the sellout crowd of 42,365 every time his name was announced, Ohtani was 0 for 2 against Cubs starter Shota Imanaga who held the Dodgers hitless through four innings.
But Imanaga walked four and threw 69 pitches to get through those four innings and Cubs manager Craig Counsell replaced him with right-hander Ben Brown for the fifth inning.
Andy Pages drew a one-out walk, bringing up Ohtani. Brown got him to swing and miss at two curveballs. Ohtani fouled off a fastball then was all over another knuckle curve from Brown, lining it 107.4 mph off the bat and into right field – nearly beheading Pages as he broke from first.
Pages went to third on the single then scored when Cubs left fielder Ian Happ couldn’t get to Tommy Edman’s sinking liner. Teoscar Hernandez bounced into a forceout but Ohtani was able to trot home with the go-ahead run when second baseman Jon Berti threw wildly past first base on his attempt to turn a double play.
Will Smith made it a three-run inning with a two-out single to left.
A hallmark of their championship run last fall, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over from Yamamoto and extended a stretch of Cubs retired consecutively to 16 — the longest by a defending World Series champ to open the season since the 1979 New York Yankees.
Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez gave them a little more cushion in the ninth inning. Ohtani led off with a double into the right-field corner (107.8 mph off the bat this time) and scored on an RBI single by Hernandez.
