While everything about the Japan Series seems to have been a fun experience, the baseball-related stuff started ominously, as the team is already missing Mookie Betts due to illness and then a half-hour before the game they had to scratch Freddie Freeman.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was scratched from today’s lineup with left rib discomfort.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 18, 2025
Less than ideal.
Thankfully, Yoshinobu Yamamoto did slightly better than he did to start 2024, ending his outing with an exclamation point. The bats rallied to support him just in time with a 3-run inning in the 5th, and the bullpen continued where they left off with four scoreless for a 4-1 win to start the year.
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Adding on, Yoshinobu Yamamoto issued a lead-off walk that was partially thanks to the first pitch being a pitch clock violation. Still, he got a scoreless 1st, but the 2nd saw Dansby Swanson got the first hit of the season with a one-out single, and later with two down, Miguel Amaya smacked a double into the gap for the season’s first run to make it 1-0 Cubs.
First run of the season belongs to the @Cubs
RBI double for Miguel Amaya #TokyoSeries pic.twitter.com/ddsg3hT6Cm
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 18, 2025
After an infield single that bounced off his glove to start the 3rd, Yamamoto retired the final nine batters he faced, carving the Cubs to end his outing with an array of nasty splitters.
While he exited down, he left as the winner: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 72 Pitches
Splits with this movement at 92-94 mph is pretty nuts. pic.twitter.com/5ngQUOhMMS
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
Yoshinobu Yamamoto welcomes Matt Shaw to the MLB. pic.twitter.com/EItHjwXRAm
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
On the other side, Shota Imanaga got clean innings in the 1st and 3rd, but walked two in the 2nd and 4th. Remarkably, the Dodgers did nothing with either of those golden opportunities, stranding them all and letting Imanaga exit with a 1-0 lead.
The only upside is he had to throw a lot of pitches and thus exited after four. Ben Brown entered in the 5th and was greeted rudely. After a strikeout, he issued a walk to Andy Pages and then Shohei Ohtani came through with the first hit of the game for the Dodgers, rifling a 107 mph single to right.
Who else but Shohei Ohtani for the first Dodger hit of the season. 107. pic.twitter.com/eiID3osA8J
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
Tommy Edman then hit the next pitch for a single to tie the game at 1-1…
Tommy Edman singles for hits on consecutive pitches, drives in the first run to tie things up. pic.twitter.com/yDZlh3H7hm
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
…and a Teoscar Hernandez groundout that followed led to a run because Jon Berti made an ill-advised double-play attempt and threw the ball into the stands. 2-1.
Dodgers take the lead on an ill-advised Berti throwing error. pic.twitter.com/cQH1Rienr0
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
They weren’t done yet, as Will Smith poked a single himself to put them up 3-1.
Will Smith stays on a curve for a single to make it 3-1. pic.twitter.com/PQvSO6D0sK
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
Brown did get out of the 5th, made it through the 6th, and got two outs in the 7th before handing things off to Eli Morgan for the final out. Morgan got the 8th as well, giving up Michael Conforto‘s first hit (a double), but nothing else.
Michael Conforto tomahawks a ball for his first hit as a Dodgers, a double. pic.twitter.com/gr4mOyMYSU
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
Old friend Ryan Brasier tried to close the book on the Dodgers in the 9th, but gave up a lead-off Ohtani double and a Teoscar Hernandez single to make it 4-1.
Teoscar drives in his partner Shohei to add some insurance. 4-1. pic.twitter.com/nwmWL09ifw
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
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For the Dodgers pen, Anthony Banda was first out of the pen, getting a clean 11-pitch inning in the 6th. He passed the baton to Ben Casparius, who also got a 1-2-3 inning (despite one deep flyball), showcasing an uptick in velo.
Ben Casparius’ sexy velocity uptick. pic.twitter.com/yxbAsW4nOS
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
In a more familiar layout, Blake Treinen got the 8th. It was eventually scoreless, though he did hit a batter and allow a steal for some traffic.
Blake Treinen’s slider still darting. pic.twitter.com/3gczvflytv
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
In the 9th for his Dodgers debut and first save chance was Tanner Scott, who got a 1-2-3 frame on 10 pitches for the win, including his first strikeout as a Dodger to end it.
Tanner Scott’s first strikeout as a Dodger results in his first save as a Dodger. pic.twitter.com/ZT5S2obQ67
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) March 18, 2025
Surprisingly nice win considering how things started.
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1-0!
162-0, here we come!
