Matt Johnson
The 2025 MLB season began early on Tuesday morning in Japan with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs starring in the Tokyo Series. The Cubs vs Dodgers matchup delivered the home crowd with an opportunity to see four of their fellow countrymen – Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shota Imanage and Seiya Suzuki – returning to where their baseball careers began. On a memorable day for baseball, here are the winners and losers from Game 1 of the Tokyo Series with the Dodgers winning 4-1.
Winner: Shota Imanaga, SP, Chicago Cubs
With the majority of teams still midway through spring training, the Chicago Cubs weren’t going to leave Shota Imanaga out there for too long. Making the start on a national stage in front of a sold-out crowd in the Tokyo Dome, Imanaga pitched very well. Pitching back home in Japan, Imanaga held the Dodgers lineup scoreless across 4 innings without allowing a hit. He was squeezed a bit with the strike zone, resulting in 4 walks, but he got himself out of high-pressure situations – 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position – each time. Imanaga departed to an outpouring of support from his countrymen with Chicago leading 1-0, he delivered on a big stage and it will hopefully provide a jumpstart to a strong 2025 campaign.
Related: Chicago Cubs Game Today, Cubs Schedule 2025
Loser: Ben Brown, RP, Chicago Cubs
Cubs manager Craig Counsell saw the signs that it was time to pull Imanaga – two walks allowed in the 4th inning – and made a pitching change to start the 5th. Unfortunately for Chicago, the move to Ben Brown backfired. After 4.1 hitless innings from the Dodgers lineup, Shohei Ohtani lit up the crowd with a base hit to put runners on the corners. Tommy Edman followed that up with a one-pitch RBI single to tie the game.
Related: MLB Award Predictions 2025, including Los Angeles Dodgers’ Star
Brown did generate a potential double play to get the Cubs out of the inning with a tie, but Jon Berti’s overthrow botched it. The righty still had an opportunity to limit the damage to a 2-1 deficit, but a six-pitch battle against Will Smith resulted in another RBI single. Instantly, Brown gave a Dodger-friendly crowd at the Tokyo Dome with something to celebrate. While he did cover 2.2 innings, the early damage and 7 total base runners allowed proved costly.
Winner: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Making his return to Japan in the Tokyo Series, Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto rose to the occasion in an emotional game. With family and friends watching his first start of the season, Yamamoto showed some early nerves. In the 2nd inning, he allowed a one-out single to Dansy Swanson and two batters later surrendered an RBI double to Miguel Amaya. After that, he was lights out. Following a no-out infield single in the 3rd inning, Yamamoto retired nine straight batters, generating three strikeouts. He finished his first start of the season with 5 crisp innings of one-run ball, giving the Dodgers bullpen a 3-1 lead. With emotions riding high, Imanaga delivered.
Related: Los Angeles Dodgers game today, Dodgers schedule
Loser: Jon Berti, 2B, Chicago Cubs
With Gold Glovve Award winner Nico Hoerner (elbow) sidelined for the Tokyo Series, the Cubs had to turn to Jon Berti. In his age-35 season, a year removed from posting a .661 OPS with the New York Yankees, Berti provided a few reasons for concerns. Berti’s throwing error in the 5th inning was ill-advised to begin with and way off target. It allowed a run to score and Los Angeles would tack another with a two-out single. To make matters worse, Berti went 0-for-2 at the plate.
Winner: MLB’s new AI camera model
While the use of artificial intelligence has caused plenty of problems and seems unnecessary at times, the new AI technology being used for replays this season is incredible. FOX used it in Game 1 of the Tokyo Series, showing an incredible play by Cubs’ infielder Jon Berti from behind him. It was also used over the weekend for a spring training game, capturing an incredible angle of a diving stop and throw by Dansby Swanson in an exhibition. It feels right out of MLB The Show and it’s the perfect addition to national broadcasts.
Related: Highest paid MLB players 2025
Loser: Health of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup
The Dodgers roster is the best in MLB but health has always been an issue for this team. Let’s hope the Tokyo Series isn’t a sign of things to come. All-Star shortstop Mookie Betts is out the entire series because of an illness that caused him to lose nearly 15 pounds. While that should only be a short-term issue, All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was scratched due to a rib injury. Fortunately, Betts and Freeman have until March 27 to return to the Dodgers lineup for the team’s home opener.
Related: MLB mock draft 2025
Winner: Shohei Ohtanio, DH, Los Angeles Dodgers
Fans showing up for the Tokyo Series were happy to see baseball, but they badly wanted to see Shohei Ohtani put on a show. While he didn’t pitch or hit a home run, the most beloved athlete in Japan did entertain his home country. Sitting atop the Dodgers lineup, Ohtani went 2-for-5 with both of his hits setting the table for Los Angeles to drive him in for 2 runs scored. Fans got exactly what they wanted and a growing fan base of Dodgers fans in Japan got to see their beloved player lead their favorite team to a win.
Related: MLB power rankings, see where Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs land
Loser: Ryan Brasier, RP, Chicago Cubs
Ryan Brasier won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, posting a sharp 3.54 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP in the regular season. Los Angeles added to its bullpen this winter, with the 37-year-old becoming expendable. Tuesday provided a shot at revenge against his former team, who basically gave him away to Chicago. Instead, Brasier took the mound in the 9th and asked to keep it a two-run game and he allowed 3 base runners to reach, surrendering an RBI single to Teoscar Hernandez to make it a 4-1 game that the Cubs couldn’t overcome.
Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen
The Dodgers have the best bullpen in baseball and they showcased some of it in the first game of the MLB season. Given a three-run lead, Anthony Banda, Blake Treinen and Ben Casparius threw 3 shutout innings with 4 strikeouts and only one base runner (hit by pitch allowed). Then, free-agent signing Tanner Scott made his Dodgers’ debut with a perfect 9th inning to record his first save. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts really only needs his starters to give 5 quality innings, because this bullpen is as deep as it is talented.
Related: Best baseball players of all time
