Shohei Ohtani on Dodgers-Cubs at Tokyo Dome: 'Been a While Since I Was This Nervous'

Los Angeles Dodgers star slugger Shohei Ohtani admitted that he felt some unusual jitters during the team's Opening Day win over the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome.

"It's been a while since I felt this nervous playing a game," he said after the game, per ESPN's Tim Keown. "It took me four or five innings."

Ohtani went 2-for-5 and scored two runs in the Dodgers' 4-1 win. His first two at-bats ended with a ground-out and a line-out before he hit a single in the fifth inning. He also struck out in the sixth before leading off the ninth with a double.

The three-time MVP is known for his steely demeanor, so it was somewhat jarring for the Dodgers to see him get shaken up by the pressure of playing in his home country of Japan.

"I don't think I've ever seen Shohei nervous," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "But one thing I did notice was how emotional he got during the Japanese national anthem. I thought that was telling."

The series at the Tokyo Dome is a momentous occasion for the five Japanese players between the two teams. Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Cubs starter Shota Imanaga became the first two Japanese pitchers in MLB history to face each other in an Opening Day game, and both of them had solid outings. Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki went 0-for-4, and Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki will make his MLB debut in the second and final game of the series on Wednesday.