Yoshinobu Yamamoto made a strong season debut, pitching five innings of one-run ball to help the Los Angeles Dodgers secure a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the 2025 Major League Baseball season opener at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday. The game was historic, featuring the first-ever Opening Day matchup between two Japanese starting pitchers, with Yamamoto facing off against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga.

Despite the absence of key players Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, the Dodgers found their rhythm in the fifth inning, scoring three runs to take the lead.

Shohei Ohtani, starting his eighth season in the majors, played a crucial role by recording his first hit of the year and scoring the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Cubs second baseman Jon Berti. Ohtani finished the game 2-for-5, adding an insurance run in the ninth after leading off the inning with a double down the right-field line.

Yamamoto, who signed with the Dodgers in the offseason, delivered an impressive performance in front of a crowd of 42,365. He allowed just three hits while striking out four and walking one to earn his first MLB win.

Speaking after the game, Yamamoto expressed his excitement about pitching in his home country for Opening Day, saying, “It’s an unbelievable feeling. Playing in Tokyo for the season opener is special, and I gave it my all from start to finish.”

On the other side, Imanaga pitched four hitless innings before being pulled in the fifth. He walked four batters and struck out two, managing to hold Ohtani to a groundout and a lineout in his first two at-bats. Reliever Ben Brown took the loss after allowing three runs, two of which were earned, in 2.2 innings. Imanaga, while disappointed with the result, remained optimistic, stating, “I pitched well, but I couldn’t accomplish the second mission, which was for the team to win. I’ll try again once we’re back in the U.S.”

Freddie Freeman was a late scratch from the Dodgers’ lineup due to discomfort in his left flank, while Mookie Betts, dealing with an illness, had already left Japan and will miss both games of the Tokyo Series.

The season opener was the earliest regular-season game in MLB history and the first in Japan since 2019. The game was preceded by a ceremonial first pitch from former Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, while boxing champion Naoya Inoue gave the official “Let’s play ball” announcement. Japanese baseball legend Sadaharu Oh was also in attendance, watching from the stands.

The two-game Tokyo Series will continue on Wednesday, with Dodgers rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki making his MLB debut against Cubs left-hander Justin Steele. Sasaki, 23, made headlines in Japan in 2022 when he threw a perfect game for the Lotte Marines, and all eyes will be on him as he takes the mound for his first major league start.

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