The Hanshin Tigers welcomed the Chicago Cubs to Japan on Saturday, March 15 with a 3-0 win over the National League team as they prepare for an MLB-season opening showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Tokyo Dome next week.
Koji Chikamoto, Ukyo Maegawa and Teruaki Sato each drove in a run to lead the Central League team. Hanshin starter Keito Mombetsu had a strong start, going five scoreless innings with no hits and two strikeouts to pick up the win.
The near sell-out crowd of 41,978 at Tokyo Dome, complete with the notorious Hanshin Tigers cheering section, was something new for the Cubs, who will also play the Yomiuri Giants on Sunday before opening the season on Tuesday, March 18 against Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers.
"The fans in the right-field bleachers were very fun, they seem like very loyal fans who were supporting their team," Chicago manager Craig Counsell said.
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Counsell was equally impressed with the Tigers, who hope to contend in the Central League this season.
"They played a good game," Counsell said. "They have some players who can run and they take advantage of that. If their starter pitches like that throughout the season, they have a very good pitcher."
With Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers are the big draw on this trip, but the Cubs have a huge following and many loyal fans have arrived in Tokyo to support the team.
Their two Japanese players ― designated hitter Seiya Suzuki and starting pitcher Shota Imanaga ― will also have many fans cheering them on at the Big Egg for the Tokyo Series.
The Cubs finished third in the National League Central Division last season. With the addition of three-time All Star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros, Counsell's team is hoping to contend this season.
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Tucker had a chance to tie the game in the top of the ninth but flew out to deep left field with two men on for the second out before Suguru Iwazaki struck out Justin Turner to end the game and earn the save.
Suzuki, who was 1-for-3 at the plate, gave the fans a thrill with a single to left in the seventh inning, only the second hit of the game for the Cubs.
"I have a lot of good memories at this stadium," Suzuki said. "I could definitely hear the cheers when I stepped up into the box and overall today this was a great experience."
Chikamoto Gives Hanshin the Early Lead
Hanshin took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Chikamoto drilled a double off the wall in right that scored Ryutaro Umeno from third.
The Tigers doubled their lead in the next inning. Designated hitter Maegawa hit an opposite-field double to left that scored Shota Morishita, who singled and stole second.
Sato made it 3-0 in the fifth on a single to right that scored Takumu Nakano from second.
Mombetsu, who is entering his third season and hoping to be a regular in Hanshin's rotation, was the most impressive player for Hanshin.
"I had good control and command of my pitches," the 21-year-old left-hander said. "This is a result that will definitely give me confidence going forward."
Japan's first major leaguer Masanori Murakami threw out the ceremonial first pitch with a strike over the plate for the former San Francisco Giants pitcher.
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Author: Jim Armstrong
The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.
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