Dodgers Sweep Cubs in Tokyo to Start 2025 Season

Starting off the 2025 season on a good note, the Dodgers take down the Cubs twice in back-to-back days to complete an opening series sweep in Tokyo.

By Austin Gage | Contributing Sports Writer

The Los Angeles Dodgers, fresh off their 2024 World Series victory over the New York Yankees, maintained their momentum of a strong offseason to defeat the Chicago Cubs two times in a row to sweep the Tokyo Series.

As seas of blue invaded the capital of Japan, Dodger blue emerged victorious over Cub blue.

With a large fanbase present in the country thanks to recent Japanese superstar signings of two-way Shohei Ohtani, starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, Japan has embraced the Dodgers as their own.

The first match between the two clubs was one that the local crowd was excited to see, as it pitted the Dodgers’ Yamamoto against the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga as the starting pitching matchup. Both stars would pitch very well in their season debut, as Yamamoto would earn his first win of 2025 after five innings of one-run ball while striking out four and only allowing three hits. Imanaga looked very sharp too, as he ended his day with two strikeouts in four innings while not allowing a single hit or earned run. He did struggle with control and walked four Dodger batters, however.

The game and the season’s first run was scored by Chicago in the second inning. A double into right-center field split the gap between Dodger outfielders and saw shortstop Dansby Swanson score from second, giving the Cubs an early 2-0 lead. Los Angeles had a chance to strike in the top of the inning but they stranded two runners on with zero outs with three straight popouts.

Similarly, the Boys in Blue could not take advantage of runners on in the top of the fourth inning. With guys on first and second with one out, two more popouts ensued as the Cubs and Imanaga escaped any potential danger to hold on to their one-run lead.

Finally, in the fifth inning, the Dodgers offense broke through. As Imanaga ended his day after four frames, Los Angeles capitalized on the star pitcher’s absence.  Jumpstarted by Ohtani’s single into right field, which represented the first hit of the season for the defending champions, second baseman Tommy Edman knocked a line drive into left field. Fortunately for the Dodgers, the ball snuck just under the outreached glove of Cubs left fielder Ian Happ and made sure that their own center fielder Andy Pages scored. The series of events knotted the game at 1.

The fifth-inning breakthrough would not end there. Off the bat of right fielder Teoscar Hernandez, Chicago attempted to complete a double play that would have ended the inning from a ground ball. After a smooth throw to second base from third to get the first out, the Cubs just needed a clean transfer to first base to get Hernandez out to finish the double play. Luckily for Los Angeles, Chicago second baseman Jon Berti launched the ball too high for first base. The throwing error allowed Ohtani to score and gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

Catcher Will Smith did not let the fifth-inning fun end there as he poked a low-pitch into left-center field for a single. He batted in Hernandez and saw the Dodgers take a 3-1 lead after an eventful top half of an inning.

Yamamoto and the Dodgers bullpen carried the load from there, not allowing a hit the rest of the contest. Flexing their offensive and defensive muscles, Los Angeles stifled a Chicago offense that has the potential to be a very solid one, especially with the Cubs’ addition of superstar right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. He was held in check in the first matchup, going 0-4.

Another run scored by Ohtani off of a single from Hernandez essentially put the game out of reach in the ninth inning, and newly acquired relief pitcher Tanner Scott took the mound for a save opportunity. Forcing two quick outs off of a lineout and popout, Scott ended the game with an exclamation mark as he struck out Cubs’ third baseman Myles Straw to ensure the 4-1 victory.

Playing without superstar shortstop Mookie Betts, the Los Angeles offense seemed stale at the beginning but eventually fell into form.

The next day, the teams faced off for the second game of the international series.

This time, the Dodgers would get off to a much quicker offensive start. After recording zero hits before the fifth inning in the season opener, they got to Cubs’ starting pitcher Justin Steele early and often.

Ohtani almost cranked a home run on the very first pitch of the game, but the ball landed just short of the fence in the warning track for an out.

A double from veteran third baseman Max Muncy put things into motion for the offense in the second inning, and a passed ball allowed Will Smith to score to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead. Not long after, in the same at-bat, first baseman Enrique Hernandez brought in Muncy via a sacrifice fly to center field and gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.

Overall, it was a game to forget for Steele, who was an All-Star and fifth in the NL Cy Young race back in 2023. He would end his day a few innings later with a line of four innings pitched, five hits, five earned runs along with five punchouts. He also gave up two home runs to contribute to those five earned runs.

The first homer came off the bat of Edman in the third inning, and the solo four-bagger represented the first of the 2025 campaign for all teams. One inning later, Enrique Hernandez cranked a shot into left field for a two-run long ball, and the Dodgers raced out to an early 5-1 lead within the first four innings.

Pitching for the Dodgers was the 23-year-old Sasaki, who made his MLB debut after four seasons in Nippon Professional League, the highest league of baseball in Japan.

After an efficient 1-2-3 inning in the first, where he recorded his first official strikeout, the highly-anticipated Japanese star ran into some trouble in the second and third innings.

In the second, Sasaki shrugged off two walks to get out of the inning thanks to a double play. A big issue in his first start seemed to be his control, as he threw just 25 of 56 pitches for strikes and totaled five walks in just three innings pitched.

The lack of command caught up to Sasaki in the third inning, as back-to-back walks loaded the bases and brought in a run on back-to-back hitters. Then, he showcased the ability that made him such a coveted piece in free agency as he masterfully struck out the next two Cub batters with the bases still loaded to limit any potential damage. He ended his day with three strikeouts, one hit, one earned run and the five walks.

“I’m so pleased that I could pitch in front of Japanese fans. The atmosphere is fantastic,” said Sasaki.

Thankfully for the Dodgers, the early offensive avalanche gave Los Angeles the necessary gap they needed to hold on. 

The 5-1 advantage molded into an eventual 6-3 victory for the World Series favorites. Much to the delight of the Tokyo crowd, Ohtani got in on the fun and hit a home run himself. Despite questions regarding if a fan potentially interfered with the ball taking it away from the field of play, the dinger counted and gave Ohtani his first of the year.

“I know Shohei puts his pants on just like we all do, one leg at a time. But if there’s ever a superhero, I think Shohei just seems like a superhero. In the biggest of games or the biggest of moments, he seems to always deliver,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The Tokyo Series was a great success for the Boys in Blue as they began the 2025 season.

Although they do have a Freeway Series matchup against the Los Angeles Angels to end their 2025 preseason officially, the Dodgers’ home opener will take place on MLB’s official Opening Day: March 27th against the Detroit Tigers.