Ohtani, Dodgers Beat Cubs in Roki Sasaki's MLB Debut; Highlights, Box Score, More

Despite a shaky debut from Rōki Sasaki, the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a two-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a 6-3 victory in Tokyo to begin the 2025 MLB season.

Sasaki, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, showed off the immense talent that made him such a phenom coming out of NPB and some areas where he will have to improve against MLB hitters.

The 23-year-old allowed one run on one hit with three strikeouts, but he also walked five in just three innings. His first three pitches of the game were all fastballs that hit 100 mph.

Sasaki's first career strikeout was on a 99 mph heater against Seiya Suzuki in the top of the first.

Even though his control was all over the place, Sasaki did show that he's capable of navigating trouble that he puts himself in. After walking three straight hitters in the top of the third to force in a run and keep the bases loaded with one out, the right-hander escaped by striking out Michael Busch and Matt Shaw.

While Sasaki showed he is still a work-in-progress, Shohei Ohtani gave fans in the Tokyo Dome plenty to cheer about. The reigning NL MVP got on base three times in five plate appearances and hit a solo homer in the top of the fifth to give the Dodgers a 6-2 lead. 

There was a minor controversy about Ohtani’s homer, which seemed to be aided by a fan reaching over the railing. The umpires reviewed the call and confirmed the home run, but one could argue it was a hometown call for Ohtani.

Controversial homer or not, the Dodgers’ lineup showed in this game why they are going to be a nightmare for opposing teams all season. Cubs starter Justin Steele, who has a 3.07 ERA and just 278 hits allowed in 308 innings over the past two seasons, allowed five earned runs on five hits on Tuesday. 

Los Angeles scored 10 runs in the two games against the Cubs despite not having Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman available to play. 

There’s so much depth and high-ceiling talent in this Dodgers lineup. They’re going to be nearly impossible to slow down for long stretches over the course of this season. 

Sasaki’s raw stuff is good enough to carry him for the time being as he refines his control and command. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who started Tuesday’s game, looks like he’s ready to join the ranks of MLB’s top-tier starters as long as he stays healthy this season. 

The Dodgers have all of this going for them just in a two-game sample size, and we still haven’t even seen Blake Snell or Tyler Glasnow pitch yet. By the way, Ohtani will likely be back on the mound in May. 

Good luck to the other 29 MLB teams this season.