The Dodgers faced significant challenges on their season-opening trip to Tokyo, including absences of key players like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Despite these setbacks, they found their rhythm against the Chicago Cubs, showcasing their ability to adapt and perform under pressure. The match not only marked the start of the MLB season for the Dodgers but represented their broader initiative to promote baseball in Japan, featuring star players like Shohei Ohtani. Ultimately, they secured a winning start to their ambitious 2025 season, defeating the Cubs 4-1.
Freddie Freeman was scratched from the Dodgers' opening day lineup shortly before first pitch Tuesday night, after experiencing what the team termed as left rib discomfort following pregame batting practice.
By the end of the night, it amounted to an auspicious start to a 2025 season of ambitious expectations, the Dodgers beating the Cubs 4-1 before a pro-Dodger crowd on the other side of the globe.
This week's trip, of course, was always destined to be about more than just baseball. It was a culmination of sorts in the Dodgers' pursuit to "paint Japan blue".
Mookie Betts was ruled out of action after arriving in Tokyo battling a stomach virus, and eventually forced to make an early return home to Los Angeles on Monday night after losing almost 15 pounds.
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