#MLBVideos: FULL GAME: Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani lead way for Dodgers Tokyo Series Game 1 win (Dodgers vs. Cubs)

FULL GAME: Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani lead way for Dodgers Tokyo Series Game 1 win (Dodgers vs. Cubs)

Memories are tricky. At their best, memories are exciting. Freeman hits the ball to right field. She is gone. Dramatic. Start the party, Los Angeles. Your Dodgers have won the World Series. Heartwarming and emotional. Oneofa-kind player, one of a kind season. But here’s the thing about memories. They live in the past, unchangeable, complete and forever. And these Dodgers at last are world champions. But there’s one more thing. Memories also live in the future. And is there any better place to make new memories than on a baseball diamond? And any better time than now? 2024 was a magical memory, but now it’s 2025. What new memories will it bring? Tonight, we begin the Dodger season in baseball obsessed Japan. New memories ready to be made. Welcome to 2025. It’s time for Dodger baseball. So, we’re just about ready for first pitch. The Dodgers and the Cubs starting the 2025 season in grand fashion here at the Tokyo Dome in front of a sellout crowd. Show Otani who has been at the center of attention all week ready to face Shot Imanaga to get this game started. You know it was an American professor that brought the game to Japan 150 years ago. Now Japan has given back so much. 82 players you mentioned have come from Japan to the big leagues. 13 currently on big league rosters, five in this series, including Otani. And what a display this is. What a scene this is for baseball in Japan and across the globe. Well, it really is just as a fan, the anticipation to see these superstars back in their native country and to see how warmly they’ve been received. I’m anxious to see which one of them will first make an impact. And I I’m betting, look at everything we’ve seen of show as a Dodger when the moment is there, he meets it. Yeah, there’s so many instances of wow, could he really step up again here and he does each time. I mean, he did it in the first game here in exhibition play over the weekend hitting a home run. You think about him first postseason game hit a home run getting 5050 the way he did anytime there’s a moment to meet he typically has met it. So the Dodgers beginning their title defense looking for a third world championship in six seasons trying to become the first repeat champion since the Yankees from 98 to 2000. And it’s Otani to lead things off against Imanaga. And off we go with a fast ball to the top of the zone and strike one. So they asked Simanaga how he was feeling about facing Otani, which he’s done several times. He said, “Look, there’s two possible outcomes. Either he hits the ball or he doesn’t. So, I’m not going to overthink it. Responding like a guy should when his nickname is the throwing philosopher the way Showz is. Well, he’s had success against him in the in the states. Show not a huge sample size, but 0 for five. on this one-1 pitch. Otani hits a hard ground ball to second for John Birdie. And there’s the first out. Imanag rookie last year. A sparkling first impression right away with his personality and then with his pitching. Went 15 and three with a 291, 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 in Sai Young voting. and the opening day starter here in his second year faces off with Tommy Edmund. You mentioned the success that Imanaga had against Otani flipped the script when it comes to Tommy Edmond who homered twice against Imanaga last year on the 10. Edmond swings and misses. One ball, one strike. You talk about the success he had. We were talking to him prior to the game. He said both on fast balls. said, “Oh, they were right down the middle of the plate.” But it’s interesting because his swing edund is tailored to have success off of Imanaga. Pop up right side. BCH will put it away. He’s short to the ball. Where you get into trouble with Imanaga as you try to take those big swings, his ball stays up in the zone, stays up in the plane, and sometimes you just swing underneath it. Edmond though short and quick to the ball. Two up, two down in this first inning for Imanaga. And now Oscar Hernandez proved himself on that one-year contract last year. Earned himself a three-year deal at a home in Los Angeles. Swings and misses at a first pitch fast. He had that one-year contract, played so well, became a fan favorite, delivering in big moments, and it was pretty telling at the parade, the party on the field. At the end of the parade, crowd started chanting, “Bring back Teao. Bring back Teao.” As if his performance hadn’t made enough of a case. The fans made theirs, and here he is back on that three-year deal. I think Teao was also chanting, “Bring back Teao.” You know, it was pay me. what he was saying in an 02 hole. Imanaga gets him swinging and promptly one, two, three on nine pitches to get his season started. So, it’s Yamamoto’s turn to take the ball when you come back to Tokyo on opening day. Here is the 26-year-old from Bizen, Japan, Yoshobu Yamamoto, in his second season with the Dodgers. The opening day starter back in his home country. And uh before he even gets a season started, we got a little pitchcom malfunction there. You know, there was some talk prior to coming here whether they were going to a be able to use the pitchcom, straighten it out. Now, Bill Miller calling a violation on Wow. coming out hot. Yeah, right. No grace here. I mean, come on, Bill. All right, so one ball, no strikes. And now Bill Miller shouting over to the Dodger dugout. I I guarantee you they’re shouting at him first, right? Yoshi says he remembers vividly the last big league games were played here in Japan back in 2019. the A’s and the Mariners open the season here. It was Ichiro’s final games in the big leagues and he remembers thinking to himself, “Wow, can you imagine how cool would that be to be back here playing as a big leager?” He had just started his pro career at that point. He was dreaming of coming to the major leagues and in his second season. It’s more than a sentimental thing. He’s earned this right to start opening day and he’s downstairs with a fast ball to Ian Half and he’s hoping that this game goes better than his debut game last year in Korea where he gave up five runs in the first inning and was done. Such a telling thing about Yamamoto, the way that he came back immediately after that and then in the big picture of course finish him with a flourish in the World Series. There’s the strike. I think if anything, the expectations for Yamaru became the highest paid pitcher in all Major League Baseball. He didn’t start off the way he wanted to, but he kept getting better. And of course, he had that time off, but as you mentioned, the postseason dominant. Pinpoint right there. They talk about his increased confidence that he’s shown in spring training. Natural going from year one to year two. Dave Roberts said where that’s most obvious is with his fast ball. The way he’s commanding it, the way he’s attacking with it. He’s home with a payoff and Hap takes outside to start this game with a walk. What’s he got? Well, this is what he’s got. He’s got that splitter. He loves that thing. The four seamer. Splitter is really the putaway pitch. Four seamer. who throws about 40% of the time, likes the curve ball, will mix in the cutter. But the splitter and curve are really the the offsp speed pitches that complement that fast ball. Good hand for Seiya Suzuki who fouls off the first pitch heater 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 and has come to the big league. So time has flown. He’s in his fourth year already. And after an up and down rookie season, when he’s been on the field, he’s been top 10 best hitters in the National League. Yeah, he had a nice season last year and it was interrupted by that oblique injury. The one- one from Yamamoto breaks his bat. A little teardrop up the middle that’s caught by Miguel Rojas. Saw him off right there for the first out. So far early on, Yamamoto really throwing the ball. 97 98 miles an hour. See, this ball just runs in on Suzuki’s hands. That’s the first impolite thing I’ve seen in the week we’ve been here. What wonderful hosts the people of Japan have been to. These two traveling parties, played the exhibition games over the weekend, and getting the real thing going tonight. Here’s Kyle Tucker, the Cubs big addition this off season. First pitch breaking ball, strike one. Tucker over from the Houston Astros. One of the most well-rounded players in baseball. Comes to the Cubs, takes on a featured role for the first time. He had Altuve and Alvarez. And again, Bill Miller taking charge, letting him know who’s boss. Have to make sure the hitter’s attentive before you come set. First one away. Yamamoto’s on pitch at the knees. Strike two. 97. It’s one of the things if you watch the exhibition games that you probably picked up on right away and that is the hush that falls over the crowd before the pitcher delivers. Takes a sting out of it. Bounced back to Yamamoto. Thought about going to second. Settles for the out at first. Two gone and half into scoring position. Good job by Yamamoto just to take the easy out. You’re not trying to make the great play early on in the ball game. 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. Swing and a miss. 21 home runs as the everyday first baseman for the Cubs as a rookie last year. Only Jackson Merrill of the Padres’s hit more home runs among rookies. Bush with an opportunity here with two gone, but a filthy splitter right there. Makes it 0 and2. The league hit 170 against that pitch last year. Yeah, the splitter to the left-handed hitter too is really difficult. Usually runs away. Tough for them to pick it up. Back-to-back splitters to start Bush 02. It ain’t broke. And man, oh man, it’s firm. 94. Uh, unique pitch you’re seeing more and more of. Part of that is the increased Japanese influence in the game, but it’s kind of uh the invogue pitch. It can return to the 80s when everybody threw it. The fast ball is lifted to center field. Randy Pahz puts it away and Yamamoto pitches around the leadoff walk after an inning in Tokyo. No score. Will Smith starts the second for the Dodgers. Takes outside from Shota Ianaga. So Smith, Muny, and Kik Hernandez coming up in this first or in this second inning with a Dodger lineup that’s already depleted with no Muki Bats. And then no Freddy Freeman as the guys reported during the pregame show. We heard in the days leading up that it was doubtful that Mookie Betts would play as he deals with that stomach virus. But then Freddy Freeman, who took batting practice on the field, said the ankle was feeling good enough, injured his rib after batting practice and his final swings getting ready for the game and was a last minute scratch. Yeah, he come out yesterday and hit extra and the voluntary workout and was ready to go and we saw him in the cage. He looked fine. Hopefully a few days off and be ready to go when we get back. We ask about the ankle, but thing that came out after the postseason last year was that it wasn’t just the ankle that he was dealing with. The rib injury as well. Smith has worked count full dealing with injuries of his own that have lingered some from last year. He had the ankle injury that he suffered midsummer and gave it some time to rest this off season, but still bothering him some. and he said he’s being realistic about it. Probably going to have to do maintenance on it. It’s not anything that’s terrible, but something that he’s thinking of each day and having to do routine maintenance on and figures that it’s probably not going to be anytime soon that he feels 100% from that. Leading off this second against Ianaga and taking ball four to become the first Dodger base runner. Show team Managa had the number one strikeout to walk ratio in the National League last year, but it’s a free pass that opens his second inning and brings up Maxy. Max had an injury riddle 2024 season. Missed half of the year with that oblique and rij injury. Checks the swing. Follows it off here. Came back for the postseason. hit three more home runs the record setting championship series against the Mets where he did his best Barry Bonds impression reaching base 17 times 12 times in a row at one point and he was saying EK that he comes into this year feeling this renewed sense of perspective and appreciation having missed all that time last year and not knowing if he was going to make it back for the end of the here. So to be ready to go for opening day, a renewed uh kind of mindset coming off of that from last year. Well, one of those things, you don’t know what you got till it’s gone, right? And it’s really apparent, you know, Max came into camp this year, great shape, looked a lot better as far as the weight, feeling good, looking forward to a healthy season. You know, you put him out there for the entire year, you know, that’s 30 plus home runs, already added to a potent lineup. I mean, man, 190 home runs since he debuted for the Dodgers in 2018. That’s top five in the National League in that time. It’s top 10 in LA Dodger history. Little bit high with that fast ball. Cal goes full. is two shy of the next guy on the list. That’s Carl Ferillo. And then Matt Kemp would be next on that list. 13 away from him. Smith off first. 3-2 comes home. Muny grounds it foul. You mentioned the shape that he comes in in. He dropped 15 pounds in the off season. and he said just focusing on a little better portion control and at a point in his career where he says I look I don’t want to play anywhere else. I can’t play DH here. That’s taken by a guy you might have heard of. Can’t play first base. Freddy Freeman’s there. So I got to get my body ready to play third base every day. So the focus on cutting that weight, focus on mobility. That’s when I showed up at uh spring training this year and I saw Muntz one of the first guys I saw. Are we trying to get to be a male model or something? Cuz yeah, I dropped 20 lbs since the World Series. Maxy, male model, right? Smith started the inning with the walk. Muny has worked along at bat here and takes a walk of his own. So that’s backto back free passes Naga who rarely issues them. Craig Councel second season as the manager of the Cubs. One of the things the Dodgers will do to you, they’ll they’re going to eyeball you. Third in uh baseball last year in walk percentage. Going to make it work. Saw it in the postseason. A combination of the power and the patience at the plate setting up a situation for Kik Hernandez to break the scoring seal. Two on, nobody out in this second inning and Hernandez lifts the ball down the left field line but fouled. We talk about all the Japanese stars that are featured on this Dodger team and in this series. was in a coffee shop earlier this week and the the barista saw a Dodger logo on my shirt, started talking about the Dodgers. I said, “You got to be so excited. Otani and Sasaki Yamamoto.” And he said, “Yeah, but my favorite is Kik Hernandez.” I said, “Of course he is.” No balls and two strikes. Kik was saying before the game today, he feels the love right back. He said, “This is my kind of party where, you know, it may be shown a little bit different than it is in Latin America, Puerto Rico, where he’s from, but the passion that these fans feel for baseball, he says, makes him feel right at home.” Finds himself playing first base here on opening day. Good thing he brought that glove. Freddy Freeman scratch at the last moment. Hernandez at first where he played seven games last year. Versatility, the calling card, postseason, the calling card. Both big reasons they brought him back yet again. Aaga had a nine pitch first inning. This is his 20th of the second. And it’s popped into shallow right field. BCH is out there. Infield fly room in effect. And Hernandez the first out. The lone new addition in the batting order right here. Michael Conforto and is a popular pick. You ask Dodger coaches. asked Dave Roberts to be a breakout player this season over from San Francisco where he spent the last two years and the Dodgers feel like they saw flashes of the old Conorto late last year especially had a great finish in San Francisco and he and they are hoping that he can tap back into what he did in New York where early in his career he was one of the best young hitters in the league. He really was. It looked like the trajectory was going to be an all-star career. Mets had offered him a multi-year deal. He decided to bet on himself. Things didn’t go the way he had hoped. I think too coming here the resources with the hitting coaches and some of the technology really going to tap into some things and he could be the Tay Oscar of 2025. Yeah, easy to make the comparisons coming in, right? Guy who has an all-star track record, fought through some injuries, signs a one-year contract trying to prove himself. Hernandez did. Will Conorto flips this one back of third. That’s where Matt Shaw is making his major league debut. And Iaga gets backto-back pop outs here. And there are two away. Miguel Roas. You just can’t put Miguel Rojas away, can you? This guy finds his way into the lineup one way or another. Seems like all the time. And here he is starting short. Mookie bets place. Opening day shortstop for the Dodgers in his third year with the club. Attacks the first pitch. Comes up empty. talking to him before the game and just kind of joking around about how you know he signs a contract and with the anticipation I’m going to be a role player and you know last year ton of games at short and here we go he’s going to be starting the first two for sure at short going have to renegotiate pops it into left field Hap coming on Swanson going out it’s Hap to make the play and the Dodgers squander the opportunity in the second Yamamoto goes back to work. You know, the Dodgers are the major league high. Three players sailing from Japan. You got to you got to take a long trip to get to their hometown. Just about a three-hour bullet train ride up to where Sho Otani is from. It is a hall to where Yoshinoi Yamamoto is from down in Bizen, Japan. You either take an 8-h hour car ride or a 6-hour combination of trains and buses to get down to his hometown, which is known for its pottery industry. You can even find some bezen pottery right in Tokyo. Breaking pitch lands for a strike. Quickly 0 and two ahead of Matt Shaw after that first walk to lead off the game. Yamamoto has just been on fire. Super efficient landing the fast ball and the off speed. And then downstairs with this one to shot that splitter at 9394. averaged about 90 with the splitter last year. I think he’s cranked up at all making the start. He’s amped up. No doubt about it. Home with a one-two to Shaw. And it is another firm splitter. Channeling those butterflies better than he did in Korea last year, which he said was a big learning experience for him. And something part of the scouting report as he came from Japan was how quickly he would adjust and so many adjustments that these two pitchers had to go through last year to succeed. It’s not just the increase in competition, but you’ve got a different mound. You’ve got a different ball. You’ve got travel over a much wider stretch. Shaw goes up the middle. Edmond positioned well for the first out. Well, you talk about all those challenges, just the familiarity of the ballpark and coming to the field and getting into routines. A lot of those things are taken for granted, but as a baseball player, you want to get those things locked in because that’s the only thing you can control. What happens on the field that you just never know. One gone in a scoreless second inning and a knee buckling first pitch curve for strike on Dansby Swanson. The first opening day pitching matchup of Japanese players in major league history between Yamamoto and Ianaga. But those guys earn this. This isn’t just okay. We’re in Japan so these guys get the start. Ianaga was 15 and three. Sai Young votes. Yamamoto is at his best in the postseason. fires a one-on-one. Swanson bangs a base hit into center field. First hit of the game comes from Dansby Swanson. Just hung that curveball. You mentioned first hit of 2025. Just hung that thing up there. Swanson is a guy, too. Yeah, he knows it wasn’t where he wanted it. Swanson a down year last year. Cubs are hoping he really has a big one. Pico Armstrong, who is a fan favorite already here in Tokyo. They’re chant his name, chant his nickname, PCA. They love his style of play. They love the flare. They love the the hair. He’s got sweet hairdo. and he said hearing his name chanted was the coolest moment of his baseball career. Wasn’t his big league debut. Wasn’t his first hit. It was 5,000 miles away from home hearing these fans care who he is. Well, you know, and he’s a kid, too, that he he grew up played at Harvard Westlake from Sherman Oaks, but in all the youth leagues and, you know, when he was younger, he played on all the USA teams and he’s traveled, he’s been overseas. You mentioned it. He said this is the best experience he’s had. Bouncing ball to second. It would be tough to turn two with his speed. They go to first and get the sure thing. And to scoring position goes Swanson. Two gone in the second. 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, Miguela, stands in. inside with the first one. Otani do up second next inning. 91 and two coming up for the Dodgers on 10. Amaya cuts and misses. Man, it’s eerie how quiet it is, right? Pitch. It’s almost like you’re at the golf course. Yeah. Somebody’s up at the plate. Bottom of the second. Smack towards right center field. Headed for the gap. And the Cubs get on the board first. Miguela scorches a double to score Swanson. And it’s one- nothing Chicago. He’d start him off with two splitters and then tried to sneak a fast ball, just left it out over the plate. He had thrown some fast balls to right-handed hitters, especially Suzuki earlier on that just ran in on the hands and this one just got too much of the middle part of the plate. So, one- nothing Cubs. John Birdie making his Cubs debut here out of the nine spot. Looks at a first pitch curveball. longtime Marlins utility man who went to the Yankees last season. And now to the Cubs starting at second base, Nicoer missing this series, recovering from forearm surgery. They’ll have him ready to go before too long. But it’s Birdie getting the starts here in Tokyo. Yamamoto’s 1-1 swinging a miss at that splitter again. One and two. At the knees to get him looking. Cub strike first though as Amaya drives in Swanson. Chicago one. The Dodgers nothing. and show Otani do up second when you come back. This man is everywhere. He’s riding a train on a tea bottle right here. And it’s Andy Pahz. Start the inning for the Dodgers. Takes ball one from show to Yumanaga. And look who we got joining us in full uniform. You guys know this guy. Hi Clayton. Hey guys. Thanks for having me. Of course. How’s your uh how’s your Japan time going? Whole family, right? Yeah. So great. Such a blast. This has been such a great experience and uh get to be a fly on the wall and kind of hang out, do my rehab and watch and uh it’s just it’s been a blast. I’m a once in a lifetime experience for sure. Pah starting this third inning, fouling it back. I know there’s a lot of talk last year about the chemistry being a big part of what the team did in the postseason and added emphasis on getting together. Is there sense of that again to start this season? A trip like this helped galvanize a group? I don’t. Did you see what show brought to the dinner and Yama and Roki the tuna thing that got that got on social media somewhere, right? That was amazing. So, um, yeah, as far as like coming together, team dinners are great for that. But, uh, that was probably the coolest dinner I’ve ever been a part of, period. Just watching these guys just butcher a tuna right in front of us. It was It was amazing. Bar is set high for when the team goes to Texas in a in a month or so. Yeah, I’ll just get a cow up there. Yeah. Happy Easter, guys. Be perfect. Two and two on PZ. Been impressed with both these guys throwing. Um Imanaga’s got his fast ball’s got a lot of life to it. A lot of swing and misses on the heater. You know, it’s 93 94, but um guys are having a tough time catching up to it. And then that pitch right there is is pretty great, too. A good split. It’s his second strike out. One away in this third inning. So, what kind of mindset do you have to have though to be ready to go in the middle of March and just prepping for that? I mean, as a pitcher, doesn’t it I don’t want to say it screws up your season, but doesn’t it mess things up or It’s a little more challenging. I mean, you know, Yama did it last year from Korea and uh you know, I did it in Australia 10 years ago, so it’s a little different, but I’m going to watch this at bat, EK. There you go. Good feel. You have better TV feel than EK. Lead the room, Caros. Ah, man. It’s been awesome seeing Otani here in Japan. You know, what kind of impact he’s got across the globe. what kind of fan attention there is. But that’s the heater right there. Like that. It’s It says 92, but that plays a lot harder than 92. Um, and it looks so good. You know, it’s right at the belt and guys feel like they can get to it and uh we’re just having a tough time catching up to it right now, but maybe we’ll get him here. It’s a split again. Yeah. Show his uh just the the impact he has globally on the game of baseball. I don’t think I mean, we all know that he’s the best player in the game. We all know like he’s super famous in Japan, but until you come over here and experience it like like you said with the green, he is literally on every billboard here and um it’s it’s a it’s a crazy crazy experience on this one. Two from Imano. Tonnie leaves it upstairs. You bought any of the products he’s pushing yet or not? I had some uh I don’t I probably have. I don’t even know. But yeah, it’s uh he’s definitely everywhere. This has got to be a split right here. Wow. Rifled to second. Caught by birdie. I wouldn’t throw that to him. I think that was the slider. And uh he he can hit that middle speed really good. He broke that ball right there. If you were throwing to Otani, how would you get him out? Yeah. I mean, thankfully I can say this now cuz I’ll never face him again. Yeah, we’re done with that. But it was a lot of you got to be you got to really hit that down and away pitch with the heater. Uh, I don’t throw the ball up very much, but up you can kind of go to if you got the VO, but the middle speed pitches, like the sliders, change ups, stuff like that. So, I threw him curve balls. I didn’t throw him a ton of sliders. And, uh, you know, you leave that, you know, 85, 88 mph pitch in the middle of the zone, it’s good chance it’s over the fence for sure. Tommy Edmond here with bases empty and two away. This is a good matchup for us. Tommy’s got a real flat swing and Imanaga throws a lot of heaters up and so Tommy Tommy got him a couple times last year. I heard the guys talking. So I I bet he sees a little bit more off speed than most of our guys. That’s what Tommy Tanks does, right? He’s hitting clean up that day. Homer twice. That was a good swing as a split, though. But hit that one hard. Third and 1 2 330. Going to stick around and talk a little Yamamoto with us. I’d love to. I’d love to. Cubs have a one- nothing lead as we go to the bottom of the third inning. Game one of 2025 here in Tokyo. Top of the order for the Cubs. Ian Hap chops the first one that he sees. Yamamoto has a ricochet off his glove and Rohas throws late. And so Haps on to begin this third. Yamamoto going after it. Easy to sit up here and say, “Oh, you just let that go.” Because you know the shorts stop’s going to come and get it. I think that’s what Miggy was telling him afterwards. Not that easy though. It’s hard to get out of the way, but Yama’s also like the best fielder out there. So I And Hap’s pretty fast, too. That would have been a really tough play for me. That’s just a in between ball, especially off the turf. Suzuki, but I tell you, Yamamoto’s feeling froggy, isn’t he? 94 with the splitter. Yeah, it’s He is the most efficient, prettiest throw I think that I have seen in a long time. like you watch him play catch and throw long toss, it’s the exact same throw that he takes to the mound. And um I tell Charlie, I tell my 8-year-old, I was like, “Just watch him throw. This is what it’s supposed to look like. This is this is how you’re supposed to move.” And um yeah, it’s coming out. The Heater’s really good tonight. And the split, I don’t know how you throw a split 94 and make a move like that. So that’s that’s pretty nice to have. You got a splitter? Yeah, I think I threw it twice last year. Yeah, that was it was fun. 94. No, it wasn’t quite 94. I’m throwing 86 in bullpens, Joe. We’re just trying to get back. We’re just trying to get back on the mound right now. Uh where’s where you at? Yeah, we’re coming along. I’m I’ve thrown four or five times off the mound. So, um yeah, it’s it actually feels okay. So, hopefully next couple months we’ll get there. God, crack his bat again. He’s ruined two of his bats. So, I think he’s throwing two seamers to righties if if I had to guess. That ball’s running a little bit right there. Running in. The only one that he left out over the plate was Amaya. And even tried to run it in, but that thing is just eating up bats. Yeah, that’s I didn’t even know he had that. I was talking to one of our pitching guys, Connor, down there and told me that he’s throwing the the runner to righties and that that’s really tough to cover when you’re trying to stay on everything else. I saw you got to play catch with Yamamoto in with all the at was it before one of the exhibition games? Yeah, that let me know I wasn’t ready yet watching catch with Yamamoto. like he was he was back at the cannon sign in right center just firing balls on the line with no effort and I was just breathing out of my mind trying to make it halfway there. I needed a cut off man. So um but it’s yeah it’s really fun to watch him play catch and uh Yama’s a great dude. Awesome to have on our team. Kyle Tucker with a runner at second and one away. Leaves that one upstairs. I was going to ask you for a little window into his personality. We get to see it some. But what’s he like inside the clubhouse? He’s a lot of fun. He likes to have fun. He likes to hang out with the guys. Um he’s uh I think he’s a lot more comfortable this year. You know, I can’t imagine going to a new country and learning everything and trying to pitch on top of it. So, um you know, and he got hurt last year, too. So, there’s just a lot of stuff last year that he was working through. And for him to come back the way he did in October and um have a full off season and now get to know the guys that much better. I think we all um really appreciate Yama. I think he’s he’s had a lot of fun with us in the clubhouse and um he likes to joke around, have a good time and so it’s it’s fun. Behind Tucker two and one, happy at second, one away, one misses outside. Have you uh messed around with the Japanese baseball? And how different is it if you Yeah, I have felt it a little bit. It’s definitely smaller. It feels a little bit tackier. Um it’s a good ball to throw for sure. Yeah, good ball to throw. Uh I don’t know if the hitters would love it, but it’s a good ball for us for sure. That’s a good one. That’s a good one. Yeah. Because to your point, it’s not just coming and facing, we were talking about this a little bit earlier, the increased competition, but there’s all those changes within the big change that he had to get through last year. Yeah. And we’re seeing, you know, Roi’s going through it, too. It’s just it’s it’s a hard transition period, but, you know, our guys know how to help him get through it. And gosh, that’s such a hard pitch to hit. Leaning on it. That’s a great hitter right there that he gets to roll over for the second out to third goes half. Cubs one, Dodgers nothing. Bottom of the third. Michael Bush comes up. How about the hush that falls over the crowd before the pitch is delivered? It’s kind of eerie, isn’t it? It’s like we’re at a golf event. Yeah. Feel like I have to talk low. Me, too. Bush’s a good hitter, man. He uh you know, we traded traded him away a few years ago. Obviously, Freddy’s at first base for us, so we didn’t need him, but Bushie’s uh turning turned himself to a really good hitter. It’s a good This is a tough matchup right here. Try to strain him at third, but he’s I mean, that split to make a ball move at 93 the way that he I I don’t even know how to explain that. Like, that is that is amazing. Why Why don’t you think it’s been used more over in the States? I mean, every Japanese guy, it seems, has got a splitter. Yeah, I feel like we started seeing the trend last year. I feel like guys started throwing it. Um, I don’t want to say anything yet, but Bushie’s not hasn’t picked that quite up quite yet. Um, but yeah, I feel like the split is coming around a little bit in uh in the States. I think I’ve seen Is it harder to throw? I mean, for you like is it is it more taxing on your I feel like everything’s taxing at this point. Yeah. Right. Right. Um I I think traditionally they say that, right? The splitter is a little bit more taxing, man. If it ain’t broke. That’s a good pitch right there. It’s tough to go heater here. I don’t know what Yama’s going to do. Throw four in a row or um four in a row. If you want another one, I would. You got it. Yep. Oh, I tipped it. Bush is saying, “Okay, progress.” Yeah, I do five. I I would I You give the hitters too much credit sometimes. Right. I keep throwing like it’s hard as a pitcher to throw five really good ones. You know, like you got you play your odds, but you throw five perfect ones in a row. That’s hard to do. So, see what happens. Yeah. See, he kind of flared that one out a little bit. So, but EK, you’re sitting there as a hitter saying, “Please, I don’t care. Give me a fast.” Yeah. I’m not going to hit the splitter. I’m not hitting it. I mean, to Kers’s point, you know, if he hangs something, I got a chance. But I think curveball feels good to me right here. I don’t know if pushy hits curveball, but I think that was the slider. That was the slider. That was an interesting one. Seen that too much so far, especially to lefties, right? He doesn’t really throw the slider to lefties. Bushy Bushy must hit curveball. Uh that’s my that’s my call. I don’t know for sure, but 32 back to the splitter. Yeah, I had to. Yeah, the fifth one came through threw a couple other breaking pitches in there. Clayton, we appreciate you and uh enjoy the rest of your Japan trip. We’ll see you again soon. Okay. All right. Thanks, guys. Appreciate it. World Champion Dodger Baseball on Sportsnet LA is brought to you by Lexus. Experience amazing. Back at the Tokyo Dome. Open in the late 80s. They mounted it after the Metro Dome in Minneapolis. Tas Hernandez slaps the first pitch from foul. 50some,000 capacity and jam-packed. It is a tough ticket. Even the practices were tough tickets to get. They sold 12,000 of them. They went in a blink. No balls and two strikes on Tasker Hernandez. Even if you came over here willing to spend a bunch, it’s still hard to find tickets cuz if you got them, you’re not giving them away. one and two. Crazy thing is walking around yesterday, ran into a bunch of Dodger fans. I’m asking him, hey, would you know, you going to a game? Are you going Tuesday or Wednesday? And ran into a lot of them and said, “No, I’m just over here for the experience, just to to see Dodger fans, be over here in Tokyo and not going to the game, though. Now, pro baseball in Japan goes back to the 1930s. It was spawned largely from a big league all-star tour. Babe Ruth was a part of it in 1934. And prior to that, amateur baseball was the only thing in Japan, and it was a big deal. But pro baseball didn’t come around until the interest that was increased from that tour sparked it. So, that was in the 30s. But then a link between pro baseball in Japan and the Dodgers goes way back well before Hideon Nommo to the 1950s when the Dodgers the day after losing game seven of the World Series to the Yankees in 1956 boarded a plane and flew out here for a goodwill tour. Cal’s fullon Hernandez made another trip a decade after that and especially hatched a relationship with the Tokyo Giants. greatest franchise here in Japan. 31 championships, nine in a row at one point. But the Giants would send sometimes the entire team to Vero Beach to train and to learn from the Dodgers. Dodgers couple other tours back here. You were part of one of those in the early 1990s. Eighth pitch to Hernandez is taken high and he’s earned the walk. So baseball a link between the United States and Japan, but then specifically Japan and the Dodgers, a unique connection. Well, you talk about the the Japanese teams coming over and they train at Vero Beach and I remember they’d be out there sometime, you know, our spring training and these guys have already been out there for two hours training and going at it very disciplined, just a completely different brand and how to approach the game. Strike on Will Smith. Dodgers down a run in the top of the fourth. Pop up on the right side. Bunch of those induced by Imanaga. Often is the case. Highest fly ball rate in baseball. That was one of the worries with him coming over from Japan. Could he keep the ball in the park? And fortuitously, his first year at Wrigley Field, the wind blew in more than folks around there say it has in years. And so a lot of those balls that on certain days would go to the back of the back of the bleachers stayed in the yard and helped him have such a fantastic year. One-on-one out for Muny. Ball one. Well, you mentioned that the weather it led to a nonoffensive year last year at Wrigley. Imanaga still gave up 27 home runs. One of every five hits that he gave up was a home run. Even with the wind blowing in, one ball, one strike. Wriggley was the second best pitcher park in baseball last year. And as you know, if you’ve watched games at Wrigley, you played a bunch of games there, including playing for the Cubs. It can be a severe pitcher park one day and the next day be Kors Field. Well, you can you it can change in a matter of innings. That’s how extreme that the weather can be. But I’d always kid there was a first baseman that played there in the 90s, Mark Grace, and I, how do you not hit more home runs, Gracie? And he used to tell me, he says, “The wind blows in a lot more than you think.” And you always see it on TV. It’s like it’s blowing out. Oh, what a great place to when I played there in 03. I was like, Gracie, you know what, dude? You’re right. I mean it does. Imanagago with a two-1 pitch and the dirt to my ball three. And a lot of it just how you luck out what days. It’s not like last year was a windier in Chicago. It’s just the days that they had home games, those 81 days happened to be more of them where the wind was blowing in than when it was blowing out. It’s kind of luck of the draw. Whether that’s good luck or bad luck depends on your perspective, your position. Yeah. Caught the corner. Three and two. Well, that’s a crazy thing. You know, the Wrigley pitching as you mentioned was very good last year, but how much of it was weather related? Well, the offense went from one of the best in the league to one of the worst. Taken high for ball four. And Imanagago, who we mentioned had the best strikeout to walk ratio in the National League last year, has a new careerhigh four walks over the first three plus innings. And a visit from Tommy Hottie, the pitching coach. Now they’ve leaned on him a little bit. Had backto-back walks to open the second and then went one, two, three. putting the pressure on again here in the fourth with Kika Hernandez coming to the plate. You know, one of the things that Craig Council had mentioned as well is yes, this is a a series starting in the middle of March and Imanaga, yes, he’s going to get this start, but he wanted to make sure that I was he going to be healthy. He’s got to be prepared for the entire year and you know that he wasn’t going to miss his start. By all means, he was going to be out there. And this is a little unusual. You mentioned four walks already. Again, one of the best control guys in all of baseball. You got the early season. Of course, you’re going to have take you some time to use any wonder about the magnitude of this. And that’s a thing. He said before the game, he takes the mountain thinking about all the Japanese players that came before him, helped him have this opportunity, and he said that this will be the biggest moment of my baseball life. No wonder Hernandez is lifted to center field. Crow Armstrong goes back shy of the track. He’s got it. First and third with two away. So it’s up to Conorto. Initially Conforto was in in the lineup. He was a late addition with the trickle down of Freddy Freeman getting scratched. Hernandez went from left field to first and Conoro finds himself in there and against left-handers last year actually was the best that he’s ever been. Hit 285 and had the highest slugging of any left-handed hitter against left-handed pitching in the National League. Lays off one and0. One of the adjustments that Conforto has made early on in spring had his hands in a much higher position. Wasn’t having a ton of success and he and hitting coaches were watching some tapes. Knives this one into shadow left field and for the second time in the first four innings, the Dodgers letaga off of the hook. He pitches around a pair of walks. No hits through four innings for LA. Opening week presented by Bank of America is coming. Don’t miss out as we celebrate your world champion LA Dodgers with exciting giveaways, special events, and much more. Visit dodgers.com/promotions. That’s a fast strike to Matt Shaw to start this fourth inning. Matt Shaw his major league debut. Top prospect for the Cubs. First round pick a couple years ago. He’s played less than a full season of pro games when you put it all together. 160 games in the Miners. Triple A at the end of last season and at 23 years old. Makes his debut. It’s the opening day third baseman for the Cubs. Swings and misses. That disappearing splitter. The Cubs went hard after Alex Bregman. Bregman goes to Boston. And that opens the door for Shaw to crack through right away as they try to get back to the postseason. Only one trip to the postseason the last six years for Chicago. Back to the splitter to finish him off. Second K for Yamamoto. I mean, I know you can’t throw that every single pitch. You know, we were just talking with Kersh about it, but if I am throwing anything else, I I’m throwing it for a ball just just to set up just to go back to this pitch just to if I don’t want to throw six or seven in a row. Let me throw something off the plate. I don’t want to give them an opportunity to hit the fast ball or the curveball. Danby Swanson, who’s got one of the two hits in this game and scored the long run, takes ball one. And it’s fitting that with the Japanese starting pitcher here in Japan, it’s the splitter that’s the star of the show so far. And misses inside 2 and 0. I mean, we saw it in the exhibition games, the Dodgers facing the the Tigers and the Giants. You know, their pitchers just non-stop splitters. with the Deono is the fork ball. He would tape a ball between his fingers as a kid and go to sleep and hope that it would stretch his fingers out and help him prepare to throw that pitch. But a very popular pitch in Japan was for a time in the big leagues. Then it was one of those things where a couple guys that threw splitters that got hurt and you connect the two and it goes away. But then what teams have found is that when you look at the Statcast data and you dive into each individual pitch, the splitter is the hardest pitch to hit. Now, is that because guys don’t see them? But there’s been a return of that pitch surge in the last few years as they’ve gotten that data and more and more guys have adopted as part of their repertoire. Well, it just be interesting to see, you know, longevity, how guys that throw it often, you know, how long do they stick around? And there’s going to be some anomalies that you know, hey, the guy had a 10-year career and that’s all he threw. But I remember that the Giants were the first team to start throwing a lot of them. Roger Craig, whole staff in the league. Yeah. Right. And then and then it just that was it. Guys had a lot of arm trouble and that was that was the end of that. The Cubs had a great closer and Bruce Sudter who’s known for his splitter swing and a miss. He strikes out Swanson. Backto back Ks to open the fourth. As a Cub fan growing up, I noticed you didn’t say Cardinal closer. Bruce Sud, right? Cubs one, Dodgers nothing. Last of the fourth. Yamamoto to Petro Armstrong. Slaps a ground ball up the middle. Rojos is there in a 1, two, three, fourth inning. First clean inning of the game for Yamamoto. Dodgers looking for some offense. World champion Dodger baseball on Sportsnet LA is brought to you by your Southern California Toyota dealers. An historic day for Japanese baseball. First opening day pitching matchup of Japanese players in big league history. And this right here is Sunnitaro Moryamo, who is the first star pitcher in Japan back in the early 1900s. He embodied a lot of the things that Japanese people admire and is a big part of the baseball culture and that is working hard to develop yourself as a player. Develop your spirit as much as your skill. The Moryama would work on his fast, work on throwing hard by 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 Shimanaga. Four scoreless innings, didn’t give up a hit. He was able to pitch around those four walks. Rojos to lead off. And one other thing on Moryama, he worked on throwing hard by throwing it a brick wall. He worked on his command by lighting a candle and trying to blow the candle out with his accuracy. chased up there. 0 and2. I’m not sure that’s coming back anytime soon, right? That’s certainly novel. You had Moryame the first star as a pitcher in the early 1900s. We mentioned the big league goodwill tour. Babe Ruth came on in the 1930s and Babe Ruth hit 14 home runs in 17 games. Big League players just absolutely dominated as Rojos goes down on strikes for the first out of the fifth. But the one shining light for Japan was a pitcher and Ai Sawamura on that tour. Babe Ruth, he was excellent. But Sawamura one game 18 years old at that point struck out Babe Ruth struck out Lou Garri. the ball on Pahz and the Sawamura Award which is Japanese baseball’s version of the Sai Young Ward named after Ni Sawamura 2 and0 on Pahz. Babe Ruth remains such a huge star in Japan and so well regarded by the Japanese people that the United States considered sending Babe Ruth as a peace negotiator during World War II because they figured that if there was anybody the Japanese people would consider listening to, it would be the Babe. His final games as a Yankee played here in Japan. On the inside corner, three balls in a strike. Otani waits on deck. Dodgers trying to get some offense going. Looking for their first hit of the day. Pah takes the walk and a man aboard for Otani. They haven’t had hits, but they’ve had five walks so far. Speaking of Babe Ruth, right? goal for two against Imanaga who now sets his sights on Brown takes a rip and comes up empty. The ooze and O’s with every swing. The hush falls over the stadium. But then no matter what he does, gasps from the crowd. the anticipation. Yeah, another swing and a miss. 0 and two. Well, you’ve got all the cameras up too. The phones focused on Otani right now. Spinning him with the first two pitches. See, just like the splitter, you got to spin him again. Or if you’re throwing a fast ball, throw it out of the zone. sped him up, fouled it back. Was at a small restaurant during one of the exhibition games and Otani was at bat up on TV in the corner and the waiters stopped, pulled out his phone and filmed the TV. And he said he films all of Otani’s at bats. Scorched to the right side and it’s Otani that’s provided the first hit for the Dodgers. Pahz goes first to third and he delivers for these fans as he always does. 107 off of the bat of Show Otani. Hope the waiter had his phone out to capture that hit. Well, third time in last four innings the Dodgers have had two runners aboard. now trying to take advantage with Tommy Edmond coming up. Edmond flips over to the left side. Was twice as good from the other side of the plate in a short time with the Dodgers last year. 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 Pahz 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. How about Tommy Edmond just continuing right where he left off in the postseason. Doesn’t waste any time. Championship series MVP. Man, life moves fast. comes to the Dodgers, debuts for him in mid August. Cup of coffee during the regular season, hoist an MVP trophy in October and then bang, he’s got a 5-year contract, and he’s rich. Hey, you go back to January of last year, and he’s wondering, “What’s going on with my baseball career? Am I going to be healthy?” Next thing you know, as you mentioned, that multi-year deal, a Southern California kid, couldn’t have worked out any better. Sort of feels like it was destiny when you consider a Southern California kid, his style of game. Dodgers have had their eyes on Tommy Edmund for a long time. Hernandez chops one to third. Shaw will go to second for one. Throw to first is high and it allows the Dodgers to take the lead. Otani Zinda 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 air. Well, really a good job by Edmond hustling down there and right on top of Birdie. Birdie really had no business trying to make that throw. Edmond doing a nice job of just kind of coming straight up but not hitting Birdie. Smith takes high. Birdie throws a duck and the Dodgers take the lead. So Tonnie with the first hit. Edmond follows with a hit of his own. And they’re 2-1 LA. Hernandez in scoring position for Smith. It was walked and popped out. Spiked in there. Ball two. He’s the other one. Will Smith. He got off to a great start last year and you mentioned the injuries and just could never get going again. But, you know, the combination of Will Smith and a healthy Max Munchie, you add those two to this offense, man. It’s been the same arc the last two years for Will Smith. Great first half, named an All-Star, but then an injury playing a big role and then also the tolls of catching not nearly as good in the second half. Went around there. Count goes to three and two. He was an all-star last year, but then in the second half hit just about 200. Had the ankle injury midseason that wound up being a bigger deal than he was like a not many people even knew about it as the regular season went on. Struggled in the postseason as well. Digs this one out. He’s got a base hit to left center that’ll bring home Hernandez. Three to one Dodgers as Will Smith knocks in his first run of the year. getting jiggy with it in Tokyo. Dodgers through the first four innings had a total of four base runners and all those were on walks. The fifth inning, four base runners, three hits, three runs. Offense has come to life. promptly jumping on the Cubs bullpen after they couldn’t get a hit against Imanaga. And this Dodger partisan crowd loving what they’re seeing in this fifth inning. The Cubs had kind of been walking on the plank again with the walks earlier. Emanaga was able to to get out of harm’s way. But you’re talking about the number nine hitter PZ. And Annie Pies after one out does a nice job drawing a walk. Turns things over for Shi. the top of the line of the Dodgers get going. Max Muny, who has made his name with power and with patience, has shown off the second of those attributes so far today with a pair of walks and takes ball one here from Brown. inside corner for a strike. Max my now in his eighth season with the Dodgers. That’s eight seasons since he for a while had decided that his baseball career was over. The A’s cut him loose and he sat there with a decision. Am I going to go play in Korea where he had a contract offer? Am I going to take a minor league offer somewhere? He had talked with Farhan Zedi who was with the Dodgers at that point and was back with the Dodgers by the way but that was going to be a minor league deal and he thought I just I don’t know my heart’s not in anymore. So he decided he was done and then okay maybe I’m not but the deal in Korea was gone at that point. He had told them no. So he had to reach back out to Farhan and the Dodgers and say okay I’ll take this minor league offer. I’ll go play where you need me. They said well it’s probably going to be double A. He said, “Fine. I just I’m going to give this one more shot.” Winds up being AAA to begin the season because of some injuries. Was in the big leagues way faster than he ever thought he would be again and has not gone back. Now eight seasons with the Dodgers. Some perseverance there. And again, you know, just as we talked of where Tommy Edmond was a year ago, it you just as long as you’ve got an opportunity, whether it’s throwing the next pitch or getting another at bat, there’s always a chance. Four counts in all three played appearances today. Fouls another one off. Dodgers breaking through here in the top of the fifth inning. Another walk and their first three hits of the game. Another 3-2 and another foul ball. Three times up there. 23 pitches seen by Max Muny. Another head start for Will Smith over at first. Another payoff to Muny and this time Brown gets him. Dodgers crack through and Otan’s right in the middle of it providing the first hit of the season. Halfway home in Tokyo 3-1 LA. Suit up this season at mlbshop.com. Check out the largest selection of authentic jerseys, caps, hoodies, t-shirts, and more. Visit mlbshop.com, the official source for your Dodgers gear. Dodgers gear all over Tokyo. Yamamoto back out there for the fifth, pitching with the lead for the first time. It’s Miguela on a bounce to short. Miguel Rojas. Always fun to watch Rojas play defense. One pitch, one out for Yamamoto. and he has leaned on that splitter today like never before. Almost half his pitches have been splitters. That’s by far the highest percentage of his career. Yeah, last year about 40% swing and miss rate. Tonight almost 50%. And you look at both of these pitchers, the effectiveness of the splitter, 15 swing and misses. And if you notice, middle of the plate and down. Look at that. How about that? Doesn’t matter where you put it. Kik Hernandez his position in the hole is able to pluck that one. Two outs on two pitches. Two nice defensive plays by the Dodgers. And again, as you mentioned, Kikatlike reflexes. Boom. Staying down there. And then hustling over. Said, “I’ll take it myself.” Yamoto’s saying, “Let me do something.” Not even breaking a sweat in this inning. Half at the top of the order. takes a strike. This has been a much different opening outing of the season for Yamamoto. Five runs over one inning in Korea last year, one run over nearly five innings. Flipping that line so far, opening day 2025 has reached both times against him. A walk and a single ahead. Two and one. We talked about it earlier. I think you remove that component for Yamamoto of I have to prove something. I mean, he’s proven everything and now it’s just go out and be who he is. I think if anything for him, it’s the durability part. That’s the most important part for him. I know he was out for a while last year and he wanted to come back earlier. He was ready, but the Dodgers held him back. lot of missing three months with the shoulder issue coming back for the postseason. Struggled in his first game of the postseason, but again, as the track record has been, bounce back five scoreless innings beating U Darvish. What was a heavy heavy moment for him facing a guy like that in game five of the division series and then in the World Series, his crowning moment, six and a third in game two gives up just one hit. Juan Sodto’s home run at his best when it mattered most. Tumbles a breaking pitch in there that Hap follows off. So, another payoff coming here and a one, two, three, fifth inning. Pinpoint with the fast ball from Yoshino Yamamoto. World champion Dodger baseball on Sportsnet LA is brought to you by Carl’s Jr. Each burger flavor is a Char Broyal legend. Never settle for a Boone burger again. Strike one on Kika Hernandez who follows off Ben Brown’s first pitch. Every 17th, every uh 17th each month in Oshu, Japan, Shohi’s hometown is Showi Day and the whole town staff at city hall and city council wear their show jerseys. It’s kind of crazy, you know, you usually get a a day once a year or you know, okay, we’re going to honor you every month. Well, he wants I mean that is some sort of that was just yesterday shots from his hometown of Oshu. It’s been said that baseball is a proudest expression of Japanese character, Japanese culture of hard work and harmony and teamwork, team over the individual, selflessness. And there is the face of that expression. What a representative of all the great things about this country, about this sport in this country. Even if you take away the production, just the way he carries himself, the regal nature that he carries himself with. Hernandez chases strike three, one away in the six. And then you add the otherworldly, neverbeforeseen production, and we’re seeing something that we’ve never seen before and we may never see again. Well, if you had to build and I will say you build something to represent a country, any kind every single quality this man has. I mean, I think the word you said you used regal, that’s it. Suish to one of the legendary managers in Japanese baseball history and then went on to be a writer. He said, “Baseball is more than a sport. It’s the greatest expression of the beautiful and noble spirit of Japan. Born a strike on Conforto. It was introduced, we mentioned, by an American professor in the 1870s. And it came at an important time in the country’s history. Forget about sports. Came at an important time in the country’s history. is Japan was emerging from centuries of isolation, beginning to modernize, welcoming in some western concepts, and baseball became one of the vehicles for them to emerge and for them to express their culture. Chase and back-to-back KS from Brown to open this sixth inning. And for so long, Japanese baseball people would tell you they have looked up at American baseball, looked up at the big leagues as this thing that they’re trying to strive to be like. And when you look at where we’re at now, sure, Americans brought the game to Japan, but look everything that this country and baseball has given back to the big leagues and given back to America and to the world through that culture and through these star players. Ball on Rojas. Well, they’ve sent us arguably the greatest all-around baseball player to ever set foot on a diamond. Yamamoto talking things through with Blake Snell. Five innings, just one run. He’s retired the last nine. Chopper left side speared by Shaw. Spin and a throw is wide and it gets by Bush. Rojos into scoring position. It was going to take a heck of a play to get him. Wild throw and no shot. Yeah, Shaw trying to use the turf, get a bounce. You see his momentum taking him away into left field. He actually had time. He He just He rushed that thing and again trying to bounce it but let it way up the first baseline. Shaw mostly a short stop in College making the move to third base. It’s a base hit for Rohas and then an air that allows him to take second and move into scoring position for Pahz. It was Pahz that started the rally last inning by walking coming in to score the Dodgers first run. They’re trying to continue this little two out chance right here and continue the inning for Otani. The day after Otani Day Two and0 on Pahes wins the opening day center fielder job. James Alman started in center field the last two years. It’s Pahz today partially with the left-handed pitcher as much as he’s mashed lefties, but he had a good camp. Came in great shape. Good stop right there by Amaya Brown playing with fire here. Three and0 on the nine hitter with Otani waiting on Dak. Yeah, and 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 Pahz. And you’ve got to figure that that presence on deck that was looming like a defensive back bearing down and a receiver coming over the middle. You sense him coming. It was as if Brown sensed Otani’s presence and now he’s got to deal with him. Two on, two out. I think that also has something to do you got a young catcher behind the plate. You have a veteran guy. You don’t allow that to happen. First pitch from Brown. Otani takes a strike. It was heavy breaking stuff. First time that he faced him. Otani turned one around for the first Dodger hit of the day and came in to score. That was just last inning. Browns 01 swing and a miss. Now Tonnie, that other worldly season last year, one of the knocks early on was that he wasn’t hitting with runners in scoring position. But not only did he improve, he got to a point where he was automatic down the stretch and an two- hole here. Couldn’t lay off. and Brown after the four pitch walk to Pahes delivers a three- pitch strike out to Otani. The day is finished for Yoshobu Yamamoto. Shi Managa four scoreless no hit innings. Yamamoto gives up a run over five innings of work. It ties the final nine that he faces and after he gives up five runs in one inning in his first game last year, flips that around this year. one run in five innings. And so it’s up to the bullpens in a 3-1 game. Anthony Bonda gets strike one on Sea Suzuki. For more on these starting pitchers and the performances today, down to Steven Nelson. Yeah, thanks Joe. As you mentioned at the top of the broadcast, an historic night for Japanese baseball. The first ever opening day game featuring two starting pitchers from Japan in their home country and in the same number, number 18. And that isn’t by accident as the number 18 holds great significance not just in Japanese baseball but in Japanese artistic culture. Now the origins of that go back to the 1930s in a Japanese American Tadashi Henry Wakabayashi who was born on Aahu in Hawaii. It was in 1936 Wakabayashi was a top prospect in the Osaka Tigers organization and he was given number four. Well the number four isn’t so much beloved in Japan because it invokes some perhaps negative superstitions. But the next lowest number available was 18. So when Wakabayashi broke out in 1939, he won 28 games with an erra of 1.09. And the Tigers win a championship. You go on to win a couple MVPs and become a Hall of Famer. His success and the subsequent success of Aces, who also done the number 18, became tradition for some franchises in NPB, as well as some superstition for top pitchers. And it’s far more than a numerical designation, guys. It symbolizes the responsibility of excellence and the responsibility of an ace. So much so that when Kentaya came to the Dodgers, it was stipulated in his contract in the fine print that he gets to wear a team. Strike out for Bonda of Sea Suzuki to open this six. So Bond comes in here with a run of lefthanders in the heart of the order. at least back to back left-handers with Tucker and Bush coming up here. Anthony Bond went into last year with a 569 career erra over seven seasons with seven different teams. He had never pitched in more than 25 games with one team in a season. And look at what he did with the Dodgers. 48 games, 280 erra. When you add in the 10 postseason games, zeros in nine of those 10 appearances, this another guy who was on the verge of hanging it up and actually had come to terms with the fact that he was done before getting another chance. Yeah, it takes the sting out of this one against Tucker. Flyed weakly to left field. Conforto puts it away. Yeah, I was talking with him on the bus the other day and you know, I wasn’t aware of it, but he said last January he was contemplating signing with one of the Mexican summer teams. And of course, just working out at his high school and coaching and helping out. Next thing you know, he signs a deal with the the Guardians and finds his way over to the Dodgers. But, you know, I think it’s very similar to that story you talked about with Max Muny, just the the perseverance and you just you never know. You just really don’t. And then what a lot of these guys talk about when they have that near career death experience and then they come back from it is a totally different perspective when you’ve been to the edge and said, “I’m done.” And then you come back. Bond would tell you that he said, “Look, I’m going to go do this.” Muny said the same thing, but I promise to enjoy it a little bit more this time, not put so much pressure on myself. And Anthony says, I’m not perfect in that, but it’s so much different than before. And he continues what Yamamoto was doing. Three up and three down. That’s 12 in a row retired by Dodger pitchers. Join us for an historical day on Friday, March 28th, when your World Champion Dodgers receive their World Series rings in a special pregame ceremony. Visit dodgers.com/tick for more information. Two, three, and four for the Dodgers trying to tack on here in the top of the seventh inning. A strike from Ben Brown to Tommy Edmond started the scoring for the Dodgers with a base hit in the fifth. Tommy last year as he was trying to come back from the wrist surgery and then he had the ankle injury mid-season. The other thing he was doing changing his diet. He was feeling like he was dealing with negative effects from eating carbs and maybe there’s a gluten allergy in there. So he started to shed gluten. Grounds this one off of Brown. has worked a little gluten back into his diet, but said it’s pretty hard to come here to Japan and feel like you can eat if you’re not eating gluten. But, uh, it’s amazing, too, and he mentioned this. We were talking about the same thing. Even if there’s gluten in it, there’s a bunch of carbs and it should be heavy. It sure doesn’t feel like it once you eat it. I’m telling you, it’s like you hear the stories, hey, we go over to Europe and we ate whatever we wanted. We didn’t gain any weight. We go over here to Japan. Like I’m eating everything and I’m not feeling bad. I’m not feeling sluggish. I’m sleeping well. And you’re a great uh I’m a great test. You’re a great test subject because you always eat everything. So it’s like you you’ve kept the uh the overseas trip did not deter that that traveled. Yeah. Right. What is that an experiment controllable or you don’t change the We’ll we’ll uh we’ll have that figured out by the Detroit series. Tuota to Hernandez is in there for a strike. Variable. Don’t change too many variables, right? The amount of food you consume has remained unchanged. It’s just the type of food you’re consuming. Yep. Little better on your system. Hernandez has walked and scored today. Lifts this ball in the air to center field. The fans wishing that ball. The dies in the glove of Pico Armstrong. Two up and two down in the seventh. And Will Smith earlier with a base hit of his own. The knock in a run as part of that three-run fifth inning. I know it’s just one game, but it’s got to feel extra good to get your season off on the right foot when you’re coming off of a rough year, especially. Well, you just you want to get that first hit out of the way, that first RBI, and especially as you mentioned, Will Smith, you know, thinking, all right, we’re starting over here. Let’s get things going. This game is so mental. He’s had two in one. It’s almost like, you know, when you start having success at the beginning of the year, it’s put things in the bank where it’s okay. Okay. Cuz you know, there’s going to be some struggles, but at least you have something to withdraw. It’s when you when you struggle at the beginning of the year, you’re just going, “Oh jeez, got nothing for the rainy days. Nothing.” And then you got to look up there if you get off to a slow start on a batting average that you’re running up there. Get that number off the scoreboard. Deeper you go, the harder it is to get it down. That there’s math. Three and two on Will Smith. Ben Brown. Three innings of work here in relief for Vimmanaga. Looking for his first clean inning. Craig Council saying that you’re going to switch him in between. You’re going to move from the bullpen. Also going to get a few starts. Crazy. The Cubs only had used seventh starters all of last year, but 32 relievers. Yeah, right. Which is the second most in baseball. And the Marlins used more. Bunch of free passes in this game. And that one’s going to spell the end of the day for Brown as Smith extends his seventh inning. That’s the seventh walk the Dodgers have taken. That’s it for Brown. Max Muny will bat when you come back. World champion Dodger baseball on Sportsnet LA is brought to you by Jack in the Box. The Smasher Jack is back with so much more beef. Back in Tokyo, Eli Morgan is on to pitch out of Palace Verde Peninsula High School. Making his Cubs debut here. Four seasons with Cleveland. career year last year with that 193 RA and he’s on to face Max my Dodgers up 3-1 top of the seventh. Muny grounds the first pitch that Morgan throws to the second baseman John Birdie and that sends this game to the seventh inning stretch. Dodgers with a 3-1 lead and try to win the opener of 2025. Opening week presented by Bank of America is coming. Don’t miss out as we celebrate your world champion LA Dodgers with exciting giveaways, special events, and much more. Visit dodgers.com/promotions. Back here in Tokyo, Bondig goes one, two, three in the six. And here for the seventh inning, Ben Kasparius out of the blue last year to contribute during the postseason. His first pitch misses to Matt Shaw. handful of games in the regular season. Then in the playoffs, pitches in four games, 142 RA. Dave Roberts said he didn’t even know who this guy was at this time last year. A little flare into shallow right field. Out goes Tommy Edmond to make the grab. Yeah, Ben started the season in double A and again just Dodgers able to develop young arms and I mean had such a der of talent as as you mentioned Dave Roberts he wasn’t really even on the radar and who would have ever thought that he’d be pitching in the World Series that he was. A guy like Ben Kasparius has to give other guys in the Dodger system a little bit of hope. Swanson takes upstairs. One ball, no strikes. Because as great as the player development system is, as great as the organization is, that’s also the worst thing for a guy who’s trying to climb the ladder and break through. How am I going to get to the big leagues? I know that I’ve got the best player development, but I’m blocked by the best team in the world. But a guy like Kasperia shows that you can come off of the radar. You don’t have to be a top prospect to get your shot. Well, and I think really if you look at the last two years, the the Dodgers the reality of the season and the grind and and what it creates and the opportunities used over 40 some odd pitchers last year. It you’re going to get an opportunity. You just have to be ready for it. It started with a rotation where they had 12 different pitchers go on the injured list last year. Smack deep to right field. Hernandez going back to the track in front of the wall. He’s got it for the second out. Swanson gives it a ride, but Hernandez able to track it down. Well, just to expand on that thought, you think about it, last year the only guy that pitched in the postseason that was in the rotation at the beginning of the year was Yamamoto, right? And that’s a world championship ball club. And so that was a big focus for Andrew Friedman in the front office this off season. Win a championship but add aggressively especially to the pitching staff. Carl Armstrong with two out hammer of a curve for a strike. Of course added Snell and Sasaki to the rotation. Tanner Scott Kirby Yates to the bullpen and doing all they can to rethink the way they train pitchers, the way they use pitchers. to try and get past this epidemic throughout the sport of arm injuries. One and two on Cro Armstrong. And this is the time of the year, the last couple years where pitcher injuries have been way up across baseball. Overall, pitcher injuries are actually down during the season the last several years, but from spring training through round to opening day, that’s when injuries have been way up. That’s what you said. They’re they’re down during the year. They all blow out at the beginning of the year, right? Nobody left to blow out. There’s a lot of investigation into offseason programs and the way that they’re building guys up during spring training. Swing and a miss and Kasperius with a one, two, three inning. The Cubs have not had a base runner since the leadoff single in the third. Dodgers a 3-1 lead to the eighth. World champion Dodger baseball on Sportsnet LA is brought to you by Morango Casino Resort and Spa. Celebrating 20 years of good times. Kika Hernandez takes strike one from Eli Morgan. Major League Baseball has Babe Ruth as Hank Aaron. Japanese pro baseball has Sadaru O 868 career home runs in his time with the Tokyo Giants. Baseball royalty who is in attendance today and a lot of the former big leaguers over there to get the picture taken with Mr. O. Dave Roberts on a trip to Japan this off season got to sit down and have dinner for Sadaru O developed his swing by suspending a small piece of paper from the ceiling and swinging at it with a sword. And the only way to slice the piece of paper correctly was to swing down and to really snap his wrists. And so the guy who hit more home runs than any pro baseball player ever Yeah. swung down and wrote a book about hitting that he called down swing. A lot of the hitters in Japan have followed his lead in that regard. Hideki Matsui talked about reading that book and developing his swing based on O’s hitting philosophies. A legendary playing career. Went on to manage the Giants for a time. Yeah. had an opportunity to uh to learn from one of his disciples, Reggie Smith. Reggie Smith played with the Dodgers obviously in the late 70s and great switch hitter, but he ended his career playing for the Giants over in Japan. And he later became a hitting instructor with the Dodgers. And he worked with the minor leaguers and myself and Mike Piaza. and he would talk about his practices and how he would approach things and you mentioned swinging with a sword. Not sure exactly what the issue is here, but I guess that maybe that’ll tell you there. The pitch clock out, pitch clock not working. Bill Miller talking to both teams about how they want to handle this. Now Dave Roberts brought his son Cole to Japan on that trip and Cole sat next to Mr. O and they talked hitting and he said his big thing was in everything you do focus on hitting the center of the ball, the very middle of the ball. It’s a guy you think home run hitter, brute force, but he focuses on swinging down, slicing a piece of paper, and focusing on the center of the ball. Stephen and Kirstston are over hearing that there may have been a laser pointer that a fan brought in that they’re trying to make sure doesn’t get used again. This is a glimpse into something we’re going to see a little more of this year. Umpires getting on the microphone sharing with the crowd what’s going on. Well, we just heard the English version of what was going on. That’s Bill Miller just turned around and said it in English. Hey, Bill. How many people here go, Bill? What do you got in Japanese? You talk to the umpires about, okay, we how do you feel about doing this? Okay, we can. Yeah, we can probably do that. Okay, but you’re going to have to do it in Japanese when you do that. Two and0 on Conforto nearing his Dodger debut looking for his first hit. He’s 0 for three on a 2. Watches a fast ball catch the corner. Dodgers getting three runs in the fifth inning right after Ianaga left the game. They got their first hit and then poured in those first three runs. That is ripped but fouled. Five innings from Yamamoto. Gives up just one run. Bullpen’s taken over. Bond and Pasperius both going one, two, three. So the Cubs have not had a base runner since the leadoff hit from Ian Half back in the third. And we talked about it. The pitch of the evening for both of the starters was that splitter. And if you think we saw something this evening, wait until tomorrow night. Suzaki. He’s got a splitter and it’s about four or five miles harder than anybody we saw tonight. Punch down the left field line. Michael can for a one pitch after he hammers the ball to the pull side. Shoots one the other way and his first hit as a Dodger is a double. Got to be happy to get that one out of the way. This ball was out over the plate. Just a very level swing up in the zone. Let the ball travel deep. Just shoots it out there. Really nice to see him use all parts of the field. You mentioned just pulled a foul ball down the right field line into scoring position he goes for Miguel Rojas. One for three. Starting for Mookie Betts today. Yeah, Dave Roberts mentioned before the game bats flew home, landed today in Los Angeles. I talked to Muki today and he said he’s feeling all right and feels like he’s headed towards being ready to play against the Tigers for the home opener. But this thing took it out of him. He was 174 when he stepped on the scale at the end of spring training in Arizona. Starting to not feel well, but hadn’t really seen the effects yet. when he pulled the plug on playing here, he was down to 161. So, not only is his weight down and he’s out of energy, but this is a guy who he relies on a strict diet to be at his best. That’s a big part of him being who he is. He’s fighting this bug, trying to put weight back on, and doing it in a foreign country, food that his body’s unfamiliar with. So, like Dave Roberts said, was just the right thing to get him back home to rest in his own bed. but mostly to be able to start putting that weight back on and and get right eating food that his body’s used to. Two and two on Rohox. Well, and the thing about it is a major league season, it just wears you down and the last thing you want to do is start already behind the eightball and absolutely the right thing. And look at you know that Muki wants to be out here and wants to play right away but it’s almost like you got to protect him from himself and whether it’s opening day or whether in in against Detroit or a week after that or a couple you got to look at the long run situation because you don’t want to go I just want to be out there and then you’re chasing yourself the entire year. Yeah. Yeah, if you needed proof of how badly he wanted to make it happen, all you had to do is watch before the game. Yeah. On Sunday, Sunday morning, Dodgers played a noon game as this ball’s bounced up the middle. Backhanded by Birdie across his body to the nice play to get Rojas. Muki was out there going through a pregame workout as if it was, you know, the off season. He had all this time to kill and all this energy to spend. He was down on one knee just so gassed going through these ground balls and completely out of energy from this virus that he went through and realized as bad as he wanted to do it just probably wasn’t going to happen. Some insurance over there at third for Pahz with two gone in the eighth. Falls in there for a strike from Morgan. Muki is somebody who Japanese baseball fans and the long culture of practice, practice, practice, religious amount of practice, would very much appreciate his style and everything he did to try and get ready for this. Doryoku, the word for effort in Japanese. Sadaru O, who we showed earlier, his signature, he includes the word Doryoku in his signature. such an important part of the culture just in not just in baseball but across any discipline here. One ball and two strikes on Pahz. Otani waits on deck. Pah with a pair of walks today to get Otani up there trying to extend this eighth inning to give another shot to Otani. And a one-two from Morgan. Pahz shoots it. Foul in the dirt. Amaya keeps it close enough where no budge from Conforto down there. Two and two on pads. Morgan deals. Pahz drags it. Foul. Stays alive. fast ball gets him swinging and Morgan able to strand the man at third. Middle eight in a 3-1 game. Dodger pitchers tonight. Awesome. Yamamoto goes five innings, gives up a run in the second, but retires the final nine that he faces. And since then, the bullpen, Bond and Kasparius, six up, six down. Trinan takes over and delivers a ball to Miguela. Blake Trinan, one of the World Series heroes, the winning pitcher in the clinching game five. Of course, Ber finished it off, but Tryan two and a third scoreless innings to get it there. Pinpoint with the fast showing good life at 97. He was just as effective last year, but did it a little bit differently. Wasn’t quite as high velocity as he was prior to the shoulder issues. It is coming out with life and spins right there to get a swing and a miss. One and two. Yeah, the Dodgers certainly rewarded for their patience with Blake trying and going through all the injuries over the past couple years and God just even the way it started last season. Remember that ball in spring training took it off the chest, the ribs and man did he finish in a flurry. Swing and a miss and he picks up right where he left off or where he left off last year. right where the bullpen left off last inning. 16 straight retired by Dodger pitchers. You know who else is leaving right where he left off last year? Dave Roberts. The use of the bullpen. I mean, so far pushing all the right buttons this evening. Oh, we going to get a challenge here. It’s pretty good pitch. One ball, no strikes. This is a This is like easy Sunday stroll here compared to the high wire act of the postseason. Some bullpen games, full bullpen games with the season on the line. Dave Roberts rewarded for his excellence over a decade as the manager and leading to another championship last year. really guiding the team through what was a challenging season. It was a challenging postseason with the way that they had to piece it together with the pitching. Rewarded with the record contract, this one hits birdie and the Cubs have their first base runner since the third. Dave Roberts a four-year extension through 2029. And that’ll make it 14 years as the manager. Councel out to take a look at birdie who is only starting because Nicoer their normal second baseman not quite ready after offseason surgery. Tails in and gets him. Got Will Smith too. Nothing nothing great about that one. tying run to the plate very quickly and Ian Hap who’s reached twice today. There goes Birdie first pitch. Will Smith’s throw not in time and Birdie brings his speed immediately to the Cubs. This a guy who led the majors in stolen bases a couple years ago in Miami. 41 of them. That was before the rules changed before it was in style to do this. And when you’re talking about foot speed, probably the second fastest player out on this field tonight. PCA Pete Crow Armstrong probably the fastest ball and a strike on half. He’s got the kind of power that makes you hold your breath here. Suzuki waits on deck and a 3-1 game in the eighth. trying and throws. Half fouls it off. One and two. broken bat, pop foul in a couple areas. This is where Blake Tryan was at his best last year against the best hitters. Top three in the order, had the lowest OPS of any pitcher in baseball. Now, with runners in scoring position, opponents were three for 52. back to his high school days. He said he said coaches tell him doesn’t matter how crazy it gets, you cannot show them that you’re worried if you are steady as can be. And he said as he at first tricked himself into being steady out there, not letting anything get too big, it became just truly how he felt. Big situation, but no big deal to him. One, two, a swing and a miss, and a strike out, a half. up to Suzuki. And so this game providing the perfect script, playing along to the spectacular setup here in Japan. Spins away. Ball one. Suzuki’s for three. Inside corner with this one. One ball, one strike. Fast ball sprayed foul. One and two. Cubs with a run in the second. Dodgers get all three of their runs in the fifth. Runner at second. Two gone. One-two from Trinan off the end of the bat. in the third bat that Suzuki’s broken tonight. And Blake Trinan gets out of the run and scoring position situation as he did all last season. That’s how he opens 25. Oh, Shi Otani so hot right now. Everywhere in every form, including in the batters box to lead off the night. He’s one for four in his first game as a big leager back in his home country. Singled in the fifth for the Dodgers first hit of the day and came in to score. Dodgers up 3-1. Top of the order here against Ryan Braier. His first pitch is inside to Otani. Facing an old friend here in Brazier making his Cubs debut. Otani fouls it off. Ball on a strike. 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases in his Dodger debut. The third MVP in four seasons. And what does he have in store for year two, which he opens in Japan? Now we know that he’s set to restore his two-way pursuit. He’s already exceeded Babe Ruth and his longevity doing that on this 2-1 from Brazier. He swings and misses and it’s two and two. He’s paused that throwing progression for the time being. No reason to rush him back. Also allows him to put his energy on getting that swing fully ready to go for the season. down the line. His second hit of the ball game. This one goes to the wall. Otani starts the ninth with a double. His second hit of this ball game. And his second one clocked at 107 mph. all the way. Just stays on that pitch. Doesn’t get out over his front foot, but keeps the bat going through the zone and does the Freddy. I mean, it just even look at the smile. The smile just even looks, you know, it just looks so gracious and just Tommy Edmond moves him up here. It was fun last year to watch that evolution, right? To watch him allow himself to be himself more as the year went on as he got more comfortable with his new team. And also was invigorated by playing meaningful games deep into the year. First time that he’d done that in the big leagues. He’s at third for Tasks Hernandez. shoots the first pitch foul. We talk about the obsession with practice. Practice is sacred. Baseball very serious thing in Japan. That’s a good thing, but it’s also worthy of criticism too in that there’s not a ton of emotion shown historically from Japanese players. Pay it to left field for Hernandez. Score Otani. Otani from an early age though 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. Ain’t nothing wrong with that. So that smile that you see with him on base there that you pointed out, EK, that was fostered. I you know, I think we first saw a glimpse of it in the the World Baseball Classic. You know, the emotion, the the compassion, all those and in a crazy sort of way. I I I think some of the things that happened at the beginning in spring training allowed for him or forced him to have to be more I don’t know deal with his teammates more interact with and and as he became more comfortable again he started to show his emotion he started to show his excitement he I think he was more in tune with his teammates than he had ever been at any previous time and it was very similar to to the WBC. I I that’s what I felt as a fan. I thought it was great to watch him. It’s it it makes me appreciate him even more because he is enjoying things. It’s not just, oh, I got to go out here and do this again. Well, here’s a guy that none of us ever could understand what it’s like to do what he does, but when you see the human side of him, it makes him relatable. Yeah. Right. as relatable as a superhuman player like him can be. And we talked about this as he chased down 50/50 last year, but when he allows us to see ourselves in him when he smiles and when he has fun, that lets us dream that we can do whatever we want to do, whatever that is. We’re not going to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a major league season, but we can set our aim high and chase it. He’s human. We are too. And the more he shows that, the more relatable he is and the more enjoyable it is to watch him. He’s also just better than everybody. No doubt. I mean, that just is, you know what you’re talking about, though, with the interpreter gone. Yep. The gatekeeper’s gone. Yep. He had no choice but to let his guard down a little bit. There’s that element of it. There goes Hernandez as Smith hits it foul. And then there’s the galvanizing aspect of it. That happened really early on and gatekeeper’s gone. Best buddy of his is gone. He had no choice but to kind of do a trust fall into his teammates. I mean, who would have ever thought at that time that that was probably the best thing that could have happened? I mean, I I don’t think you would have seen that as a prediction, but certainly has played out that way. No, it was not looking good there those early days in Korea. Been a tough time explaining anybody. No, this is a good thing. Yeah, this is going to be good for the Dodgers. Hernandez off first with one away. He takes off again as Will Smith takes ball four. How about Will Smith today reaching base four times, got an RBI single and three walks. Dodgers as a team. Eight walks in this game. Tanner Scott getting ready for his Dodger debut. He’s got a pair of those walks. He watches the ball here. Game two of this Japan series and of this season coming tomorrow. Justin Steel for the Cubs and as you mentioned earlier, Roki Susaki to make his debut for the Dodgers. Dazzled in his last couple spring outings. Really in all his spring outings and some heady stuff for him tomorrow. Making his major league debut and doing it in his home country. I mean, for me, I think that’s the most anticipatory thing for me coming on this trip is to see him throw just not only all the, you know, the the stuff as far as the 100 mph fast ball, the splitter that’s high 90s, but coming back and pitching in his home country because if he is anything like what they hope he eventually will be. I mean, he can just seal up the division right now. Still just 23 years of age, just these huge expectations that he comes with after a relatively small sample in Japan. He pitched four seasons, but never pitched more than about 130 innings in a season. And he’d be the first to tell you In fact, he even said, “I don’t feel like I’ve done a lot yet.” Still feels like he’s proven himself just period. Not coming to the big leagues trying to prove himself, but just period as a pro pitcher. And that is the fuel to his work and to the improvements that we’ve already seen him make. I think the the biggest hurdle tomorrow, tomorrow evening is going to be how he can stay composed on the mound because you know that inside that heartbeat is going to be going a million miles a minute. It would be if this first game was in Sacramento, right? And it’s going to be in the Tokyo Tokyo Dome. Two on with one out and a 3-2 gets Muny swinging. Full counts four of his five times up there. By the way, over 30 pitches in his five played appearances tonight. Know the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth inning have three, four, and five coming up. Some potentially important insurance sitting out there as Kika Hernandez gets ready to hit. Miguel out for a visit with Ryan Brazier says I know this guy was with them all last year. Tommy and the Dodgers hoping to make Yamamoto a winner in his first opening day start. Hernandez 0 for four in his season debut. Rips at the first one. Comes up empty. Got Hernandez at second. Smith at first. Seven hits, eight walks in this game for the Dodgers. Even with Mooki and Freddy out this evening, top four in the order of five for 16. You mentioned the walks. Four walks from that group. He reached base nine times. One and two on Kik Hernandez. Frasier throws. Good take to even the count up. Deuce is wild here. Two on, two out, and a two- two coming to Hernandez. Three-run lead for LA. Big hitters coming up for the Cubs. Tanner Scott waiting his first save chance. Dodgers got greedy putting that bullpen together, getting Scott, getting Yates. A lot of guys with closer experience. Tanner Scott figures to get the bulk of the chances early on. Count is full on Hernandez. We talk about the Dodgers building that bullpin. They had to let this guy go on the mound. Brazier just because they had so many guys. This is somebody that had a an ERA, a sub two erra in two years. Yeah, he got DFA. He was sixth in the National League in RA in his two years with the Dodgers. Yeah, there there may be no better snapshot, right, of how loaded the Dodger roster is and how much work they put into the bullpen and the fact that they cut this guy loose. Runners will be moving with the payoff and it’s lifted to right. Back goes BCH. On comes Tucker. It’s Bush and it’s eight and a half in the books in Tokyo. The Dodgers four, the Cubs one. Tanner Scott coming in. Three in the fifth and one in the ninth. The Dodgers four, the Cubs one. To the bottom of the ninth we go here on opening day from Tokyo, Japan. Joe Davis, Eric Keros, Kirstston Watson, Steven Nelson and the Dodger debut coming here to try and finish this game off. It’s Tanner Scott, who led the National League last year with a 174 ERA and signed the top free agent deal for any reliever this off season, a four-year contract to join the Dodgers for the Cubs in the ninth. Tucker, Bush, and Shaw. That’s three, four, and five. Do up. Tucker swings at the first pitch, slashes a line drive to left at Conorto slides on to catch. There was a ball during an exhibition game this weekend in a similar spot where the lighting is pretty good here, but if it gets in kind of that humpback line drive range, it can be very difficult caught in the lights. And Conforto won the battle with the lights here. Yeah. Did a nice job. And what happens when it gets caught in those lights, it actually disappears. And that is utter panic for a defensive player because you’re just hoping when it comes out of those lights or comes out of the sun at some point that you are able to see it before it hits you. Now look who it is. Justin Turner taking a strike. Turner sign her one-year contract with the Cubs. 40 years old now. No one from Scott. Fouled off. 0 and2 just like that. attacking with that fast ball. That is what Tanner Scott does. It was the number one fast ball in baseball last year. The league hit just 134 against it. Leaned on it like never before. Threw more strikes than ever. And what a career renaissance it’s been for him. Started off in Baltimore four years going back and forth between the big leagues and the minors. Have an RA around five. Baltimore is losing more than 110 games a year in his time there. Goes to Miami, becomes the closer and has become one of the best closers in baseball. Always had good stuff. Big change started commanding it. Started trusting that fast ball and trusting that he could attack the strike zone with it. I mean, this is another story of, you know, perseverance or I should say career path is not a straight line. Some ups and downs. You know, we’ve talked about Edund, we talked about Muny, we’re talking about Bond, we’re talking about this man right here who delivers two two to Turner. Fly ball center field. Pah into the gap. Two up and two down in the ninth. The Cubs now 0 for their last 20 with seven Ks back to the start of the third inning. And so the Wrigley Field Wes of last season for the offense have made the long trip to Tokyo for the Cubs bats. Last is Matt Shaw. You’re in his major league debut. He’s 0 for three. Scott throws. Strike one. Here it is. Try and hit it. Try and hit it. And you look at him, he really unconventional stance. That left toe turned all the way back facing the back foot. Then a high leg kick. And he’s late on the fast ball. 0 and two. Cubs got the game’s first run in the second. Dodgers took the lead with three runs in the fifth. Added on in the ninth. All in support of Yamamoto. Five innings for him. Four hitless innings for the Dodger bullpen. 02 to Shaw. Swing and a miss. That does it. Dodgers win on opening day in Japan. Four to one the final score. The offense four runs. The pitching dominant. The five innings from Yamamoto. And then the bullpen four no hit innings. Just one base runner against four different pitchers and the champions start the repeat path with a win over the Cubs. Pitching certainly the theme, but also handed to the Dodger offense. Able to score runs. Weren’t banging the ball around the park. Took a lot of walks, but just a great team win. Great way to set the tone for 2025. And they’ll hand it off to rookie Sasaki tomorrow for his major league debut in front of another packed house at the Tokyo Dome. Eric Keros, Kirstston Watson, and Steven Nelson, Joe Davis saying so long from Tokyo. Have a great start to your day in Los Angeles. We’ll talk to you again. Game 2, 2 a.m. coverage begins. Either stay up late or just don’t sleep.

FULL GAME: March 18, 2025 – Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs (Tokyo Series Game 1)
Shohei Ohtani 大谷翔平 knocked two hits for the Dodgers, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto 山本由伸 and Shota Imanaga 今永昇太, the two starting pitchers, were both sharp on the mound in Game 1 of the 2025 Tokyo Series.

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