Major League Baseball news: Shohei Ohtani’s LA Dodgers dominate Tokyo Series

By John Boston

The 2025 Major League Baseball season got underway in Tokyo this week, with a two-game series between reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs ending in a sweep for the Dodgers.

Japanese stars in action

For thousands of passionate Tokyo baseball fans, it was a chance for them to see a sizeable contingent of Japanese MLB stars in action, with star players Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto lining up for the Dodgers, and Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki taking to the field for the Cubs.

History was made in Game 1, with the first Opening Day matchup between two Japanese pitchers when Yamamoto and Imanaga took to the mound. 

And it was Yamamoto who came out on top, leading his team to a 4-1 win, which featured Ohtani’s first hit of the season in the fifth inning.

Superstar feels the pressure

Ohtani is one of the biggest names in world sport but even he admitted to feeling the pressure as he showcased his skills in front of his adoring fans.

He told MLB.com through an interpreter: “It’s been a while that I actually felt this nervous playing a game. In that sense, I felt like I needed the first couple at-bats, I needed some time to adjust. I’m glad that I was able to make the adjustments in the later part of the game.”

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Ohtani and Sasaki steal the show

Anticipation for Game 2, was, if anything, even higher, with Dodgers’ starting pitcher Sasaki the centre of attention.

The 23-year-old – ranked the number one pitching prospect in the MLB – struck out three batters and conceded one run – and that was enough to set the stage for a 6-3 win for LA.

And this time, Ohtani gave the crowd exactly what they’d paid for, hitting his first home run of the season in the fifth inning. 

The 30-year-old joined Hideki Matsuki as the only Japanese-born players to hit a homer in a regular-season Major League game at Tokyo Dome. 

There was some doubt about Ohtani’s one-run shot, but it was awarded on review after bouncing out of a fan’s hands and back into the field of play.

“I’m glad we won and I’m relieved to get my first home run,” Ohtani told journalists after the win.   

“We didn’t get a home run last night so I’m glad we were able to get some powerful MLB-style home runs tonight and play some great baseball.”

Reflecting on the victory, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts added: “Nothing Shohei does surprises me. Everyone here tonight came to watch Shohei perform and put on a show, and like Shohei does, he always seems to deliver.”

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