Ohtani, Dodgers put on a show, sweep Cubs in ‘Tokyo Series’

• Baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani delighted his home crowd with a home run, leading the Dodgers to a two-game sweep over the Chicago Cubs. The ‘Tokyo Series,’ held in Japan, kicked off the Major League Baseball season.
• Ohtani had a homer, two walks, three total hits and three runs scored in the two-game series.
• Dodgers rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki made his major league debut on Tuesday, March 19, pitching three innings versus the Cubs.

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The first two games of the Major League Baseball (MLB) season are in the books, and it’s no surprise that Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is the story. Not only for his Beatles-like popularity in his home country but for performing on the field in the “Tokyo Series” to open the Major League Baseball season.

How did Shohei Ohtani perform in the two games?

In the finale of the two-game series against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday, March 19, Ohtani homered and drew a pair of walks to lead the Dodgers to a sweep. That follows a game one performance where the Japanese star had two hits and scored two runs.

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Los Angeles outscored the Cubs 10-4 in the two games, and did it without Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, two of their best players. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts talked about Ohtani’s impact after the game.

“Nothing Shohei does surprises me,” Roberts said. “Everyone here tonight came to watch Shohei perform and put on a show, and like Shohei does, he always seems to deliver. And it was a great moment for everyone for him to hit a home run here at the Tokyo Dome.”

Who else stood out during the series?

Shohei was the star, but the Dodgers also showed off their newest gem. Rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki made his MLB debut and got his first strikeout against his countryman Seiya Suzuki. Sasaki pitched three innings, giving up one hit and one run, with five walks. The Cubs were disappointed that they could not come up with a big hit to take advantage of Sasaki’s jangled nerves.

“I mean, we got a really good group of guys in here, really resilient group, and unfortunately, obviously, the first couple games didn’t go our way, but we know it’s a long season, so we’re just going to continue to work and get better.” Cubs infielder Jon Berti said in the clubhouse after the game.

What does the event’s popularity mean for MLB?

The two-game series was a wildly popular event. Some fans in the sellout crowd paid thousands of dollars per ticket on the secondary market to be in the Tokyo Dome, and MLB said 25 million people in Japan watched the first game on TV. That’s 20% of the country’s population of roughly 125 million. For comparison, that viewership is larger than any American baseball TV audience since the 2017 World Series.

It’s great news for a league that wants to expand their reach and audience overseas. Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman, who also hit a home run Tuesday, talked about the atmosphere over the week-long trip.

“It’s been a lot of fun to see the passion for the Japanese fans. We hear a lot about how the Dodgers have this great presence in Japan, but it’s different altogether to experience it firsthand,” Edman said. “The fans were really great these last four games here. We even got to meet some fans out on the street, like when we were walking around in the off days. You can just see the passion that they have for the game of baseball.”

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The games do count in the standings, so the Dodgers start the season 2-0, the Cubs the opposite. Now it’s back to the spring training grind for both teams after a few days off. And there are eight days to go until fans can see another potential Ohtani home run, possibly on the majors full Opening Day, March 27.