Shohei Ohtani had two hits and two runs and Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw five strong rounds and fuel Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-1 victory over Chicago Cubs on Tuesday in the Tokyo series opener.
Ohtani had a single and got a throwing error as part of a three-run fifth round. He then ripped a double to lead ninth before crossing the plate on Teoscar Hernandez single on the left field.
Tommy Edman and Will Smith each had a RBI single in the fifth round of the reigning World Series champion Dodgers, who benefited by eight walks in the season opener.
Yamamoto (1-0) settled down after an uneven start by allowing a run of three hits with four strikes. He retired the last nine beats he met.
Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius and Blake Trein combined to knock out four beats without handing over a hit over three speechless innings. Tanner Scott retired for the site in the ninth round to secure the rescue.
Chicagos Miguel Amaya ripped a RBI double with two outs in the second round to open the score.
Seiya Suzuki, who went 0-for-4, lined out while representing the binding run with two outs in the eighth round.
Fellow Japan native Shota Imanaga issued a career high four walks to drive up its pitch, which led to the latter exit after four speechless innings. Ben Brown (0-1) came in relief and quickly encountered problems.
Andy Pages worked a one-out walk, advanced to the third base on Ohtani’s single and came to score and create a 1-1 tie after Edman’s line-driven single landed on shallow left field.
Ohtani scored after Edman’s slide in the second base in an attempt to prevent a double game forced an incorrect throw by Chicago other bass man Jon Berti. Hernandez advanced to others on the throw and scored on Smith’s single on the left.
Brown took the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with three walks and five strikes.
Chicago got the early jump on Yamamoto by scratching for the first run of the season.
Dansby Swanson beat a single single in the second round, advanced to others on a foundation of Pete Crow Armstrong and scored on Amaya’s double to the right center field.
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