In a historic matchup at the Tokyo Dome, Yoshinobu Yamamoto led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball’s season opener. The game marked the first time in MLB history that two Japanese pitchers faced off on opening day, with Yamamoto and Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga putting on a pitching clinic for their home country.

Yamamoto threw five strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits and a walk while striking out four. Imanaga matched his performance by tossing four scoreless innings, though he struggled with control, walking four batters.

The Dodgers broke the game open in the fifth inning against Cubs reliever Ben Brown, scoring three runs thanks in part to a throwing error by second baseman Jon Berti. Tommy Edman and Will Smith delivered RBI singles to fuel the rally, with Shohei Ohtani contributing a key hit through the right side.

Ohtani, who finished the game 2 for 5 at the plate with a double, scored twice to help secure the win for the Dodgers. Miguel Amaya drove in Chicago’s lone run with a double in the second inning, but the Cubs struggled to generate offense after that.

Freddie Freeman was a late scratch for the Dodgers due to left rib discomfort, while Mookie Betts missed both games in Japan due to illness. Despite these absences, Los Angeles’ pitching staff dominated, with Roki Sasaki set to make his MLB debut in the second game against the Cubs.

The Dodgers’ bullpen, featuring Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, and Blake Treinen, retired 16 straight batters from the third to the eighth innings. Treinen’s hit-by-pitch on Berti ended the streak but did not derail the team’s strong performance.

Japanese fans will have another exciting matchup to look forward to as Roki Sasaki takes the mound for the Dodgers in the final game against Cubs left-hander Justin Steele. With the series tied at 1-1, both teams will be vying for victory in front of a passionate Tokyo crowd.