TOKYO — As thousands inside the Tokyo Dome wore his jersey and millions watched on television broadcasts flooded with advertisements featuring his likeness, Japan’s greatest baseball talent delivered what everyone wanted.
Shohei Ohtani, playing in his first-ever set of major-league games in his home country, slugged a solo home run in the fifth inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tokyo Series contest against the Chicago Cubs.
Circumstances even allowed them to celebrate the occasion twice. Ohtani connected on a center-cut 99 mph fastball from Cubs reliever Nate Pearson, cracking a high fly ball that spun toward the top of the fence in right-center field. When a fan appeared to reach and knock the ball back toward the field of play, second-base umpire John Libka signaled for a home run, allowing the crowd that had spent thousands to watch their greatest baseball star to finally celebrate.
When the ensuing review allowed the call to stand, they cheered once again.
SHOHEI OHTANI. HOME RUN. #TOKYOSERIES pic.twitter.com/RY9V6B1RIy
— MLB (@MLB) March 19, 2025
Ohtani’s status as baseball’s global ambassador has only intensified over his time back in Japan with the Dodgers. He is ubiquitous in Japanese life, and featured prominently in advertisements; his celebrity status is matched only by his baseball talents. Still, returning here to play big-league games stirred something different within him.
“It’s been a while that I felt actually this nervous playing a game,” Ohtani said Tuesday through interpreter Will Ireton.
He joined one of his childhood heroes, Hideki Matsui, as the lone Japanese-born players to hit a home run in a major-league game at the Tokyo Dome.
Wednesday marked the second time in a week that Ohtani hit a home run in front of the adoring crowd: He launched one in his second at-bat of the Dodgers’ first exhibition contest Saturday against Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants.
“In big moments, he seems to just do what the fans want him to do,” Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto said after Saturday’s home run.
Ohtani has had a productive start to the season, having gone 2-for-5 with a double in the Dodgers’ 4-1 season-opening win on Tuesday.
(Photo: Masterpress / Getty Images)
