Photo by CSOM Sports
The Chicago Cubs traveled to Japan this week as the MLB season kicked off with a two game series at the Tokyo Dome. There may have been no better place for the season to begin than Japan, a baseball hungry country whose star players have revitalized America's pastime.
The Cubs would ultimately drop the Tokyo Series finale to the Dodgers on Wednesday. They’ll return to Arizona with two losses and will resume their 2025 season schedule next weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Takeaways from the 2025 Tokyo Series finale:
Justin Steele struggles
Cubs pitcher Justin Steele hasn’t been prone to giving up the long ball over the last two years. Steele has been one of the best starters in baseball during that period. However, the long ball plagued Steele on Wednesday. Tommy Edman’s third-inning solo shot made it 3-0, and Hernández’s two-run homer was a decisive blow.
Last season, Steele allowed two or more home runs in a game just three times twice against the Pirates in a five-day span.
Wednesday's game marked Steele’s first start of the season and as with Shota Imanaga on Tuesday he isn’t fully built up, so it’s fair to expect him to not be ready at this point. Allowing two homers in a game (and five runs on five hits in four innings) in a loss still is concerning for a player who’s expected to play a big role for the Cubs.
Missed Opportunity
The Cubs missed out on their best chance to do damage against Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki, who was making his major league debut. In the 3rd inning, Jon Berti hit an one-out inside single and then Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Kyle Tucker drew consecutive walks to load the bases and forced in the team's first run of the game. Sasaki would rediscover the strike zone and struck out Michael Busch and Matt Shaw to escape the bases loaded jam.
Controversy Strikes
Shohei Ohtani drilled a Nate Pearson fastball that Pete Crow-Armstrong fielded in the right-center gap.
Ohtani slowly ran out of the batters box, then sprinted toward second base as Crow-Armstrong grabbed the ball. As Ohtani rounded the bag, the umpires ruled the play a home run. Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker would immediately signal for fan interference, and manager Craig Counsell ran out to the field to speak to the umps.
A crew chief review ensued, but the play stood upon replay, even though the video replay appeared to show fans reaching over and making contact with the ball.
Ohtani’s homer gave the Dodgers a 6-2 lead, and they held on from there. The Cubs did have the potential tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but Matt Shaw hit a game-ending groundout that might have been a hit if not for Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas’ great play from deep in the hole.