Dodgers Score: Freddie Freeman Injured, Yoshinobu Yamamoto Shines as LA Wins Season Opener in Tokyo Series vs Cubs
It was time for Dodger baseball well before the sun came up in Los Angeles, and for the second consecutive game, the Los Angeles Dodgers used a big fifth inning to propel them to victory.
On Tuesday night in Japan (Tuesday morning in Los Angeles), the Dodgers opened the 2025 season with a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome.
The pregame festivities showcased a touch of Japanese flair, with players being welcomed by giant Pikachus as they were introduced in the starting lineup.
But it was hard not to notice who was missing from the Dodgers lineup, specifically within the first three batters. In the days leading up to the game, Mookie Betts fell ill and manager Dave Roberts confirmed that the infielder had been sent home to continue recovering stateside.
However, it was during pregame festivities when Freddie Freeman was scratched from the lineup due to rib discomfort.
Read more: Freddie Freeman Scratched From Dodgers’ Opening Day Lineup With Injury
Freeman, who fought a brutal ankle injury throughout the 2024 postseason and eventually needed surgery, revealed after the World Series that he had also been playing though broken rib cartilage.
Los Angeles struggled to figure out Chicago starter Shota Imanaga, but once he was lifted after four innings of no-hit ball, the Dodgers broke through for three runs in in the top of the fifth against reliever Ben Brown.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto got the start on the mound for Los Angeles and was masterful in his 2025 season debut. A pitch clock violation started the game, but the right-hander didn’t let it affect him.
The right-hander allowed a leadoff walk to Ian Happ to start the game but it was mostly smooth sailing after that. He shut down the Cubs offense allowing only one run on three hits, striking out four and walking one. Of the 72 pitches Yamamoto threw, 48 were for strikes.
The Cubs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after Dansby Swanson singled in the bottom of the second inning, moved over on a groundout from Pete Crow-Armstrong, and scored on a Miguel Amaya double to the right-center field gap.
That would be the Cubs’ only scoring the rest of the game.
As for the Dodgers, Andy Pages drew a walk to get the one-out rally started in the fifth. Shohei Ohtani drove a 107 mph base hit to right for the team’s first hit of the season — moving Pages to third — and Tommy Edman drove him in with a single to left.
Teoscar Hernández grounded into what should have been a double-play, but an errant throw from Jon Berti allowed Ohtani to score and move Hernández to second.
Will Smith then capped the scoring with a single to left pushing the Dodgers lead to 3-1.
Hernández added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning, driving in Ohtani on a single to left, pushing the the score to 4-1.
Relievers Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, Blake Treinen, and Tanner Scott didn’t allow a hit across the final four innings, putting an exclamation point on the win.
When Do the Dodgers Play Next?
The Dodgers and Cubs return to the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday for the final game of the Tokyo Series. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 a.m. PT.
Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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