TOKYO (AP) — The Major League Baseball season is set to begin on Tuesday night at the Tokyo Dome as Shohei Ohtani and the reigning World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, take on the Chicago Cubs. This two-game series will showcase five Japanese players, including Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and rookie Roki Sasaki pitching for the Dodgers, and outfielder Seiya Suzuki and left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga for the Cubs. Both MLB teams have been in Tokyo for several days, playing exhibition games against two Japanese teams – the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants. All the exhibition games drew a capacity crowd of around 42,000, and a similar atmosphere is expected for the MLB games.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell noted the buzz surrounding the series, stating, “More people are talking about it, absolutely. That’s a great feeling. The players love big events, that’s why we do this, that’s why we love to do it.” Here are five key points to know before the MLB opener:
1. All-Japanese Pitching Matchup: The first game will witness the first all-Japanese pitching matchup on MLB opening day. Yamamoto will pitch for the Dodgers against the Cubs’ Imanaga. Yamamoto, a crucial part of the Dodgers’ World Series win last season, faces Imanaga, who was an All-Star in his first year with the Cubs.
2. Young Cubs: Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw is set to make his MLB debut, joining other young talents like outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and rookie second baseman Gage Workman.
3. Ailing Mookie: Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts will miss the games due to illness. Betts has been dealing with health issues and is aiming to recover before the domestic opener on March 27. Miguel Rojas will fill in at shortstop.
4. Early Start: The games in Tokyo will begin at 7:10 p.m. local time, translating to early morning viewing in the U.S. at 6:10 a.m. Eastern time, 5:10 a.m. in Chicago, and 3:10 a.m. in Los Angeles. The games will be broadcast nationally on Fox.
5. Tokyo History: This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first MLB regular season games played in Japan, with previous series held in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2019. The 2019 series featured the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners.
Ichiro Suzuki’s career includes playing games in his home country. This summer, he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. This marks the 10th occasion that MLB has hosted regular season games outside the 50 states, with past locations including Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, and last year’s series in South Korea. Source: AP MLB (https://apnews.com/MLB)
