On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers got off to a strong start to their 2024 season with a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs from Tokyo, Japan. The game was a rare international contest for the MLB in an attempt to further globalize the game, and occurred weeks before all of the other teams will get their regular season slate underway.
Shohei Ohtani didn’t necessarily have his most dominant game in this one but still made an impact with his choice of footwear, taking to Instagram to post a picture of his cleats, which featured images of his beloved dog, Decoy, per TMZ.
https://x.com/TMZ_Sports/status/1902021518449590768
The dog’s image was plastered both on the sides and the bottom of the cleats and appeared to be a good luck charm for Ohtani as he and the Dodgers took the field for the first time in 2025.
Ohtani had two hits in this game and crossed the plate two times. The Dodgers’ explosive offense didn’t record a home run in this game, but RBI’s from Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernandez, and Will Smith were enough to keep the Cubs at bay.
Reigning World Series MVP Freddie Freeman was a late scratch in this game due to left rib discomfort, although there is still optimism that he could make a return at a later date in this series, per MLB.com.
Meanwhile, fellow Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto made his first career start for the Dodgers in this contest, pitching five innings, recording four strikeouts, and giving up just one earned run in his heavily anticipated debut.
Overall, it was a strong opening act to what many expect will be a historic season for the Dodgers this year. Up next for Los Angeles is another game vs the Cubs, slated to take place on Wednesday at 6:10 AM ET, once again from Japan.
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