The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a sweep over the Chicago Cubs in their two-game Tokyo Series to open the 2025 MLB season on Wednesday, with the final score settling in at 6-3. Shohei Ohtani was one of three players to hit a home run for the Dodgers in this game, but his dinger was shrouded in controversy after an interesting review led to the call on the field standing.
After flying out in the first inning and grounding out in the third, Ohtani lined a shot to right-center in the fifth inning that was initially ruled a home run. Reviews showed that a fan may have reached over the wall and caught the ball in order to make it a home run, as it could have ended up hitting the top of the wall and kicked back into play if left untouched. However, the umpires upheld the call on the field, ensuring that Ohtani’s first blast of the season would stand.
This Shohei Ohtani home run stands after review — checking for fan interference — in Tokyo. ⚾️🤔
Adam Amin and A.J. Pierzynski on the Dodgers-Cubs call for FS1. 📺🎙️ #MLB pic.twitter.com/kBADMlZ7Ly
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 19, 2025
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers get off to hot start in 2025 campaign
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After posting a dominant 2024 campaign to help the Dodgers win the World Series, Ohtani has picked up right where he left off last year. The two-way phenom went 2-5 in Los Angeles’ season-opening 4-1 win on Tuesday, scoring a pair of runs to help his team open the year with a victory. Then in the second game, his first home run of the season helped L.A. extend their to 6-2 at the time, which would prove to be too much for Chicago to overcome.
While some will complain that this call should not have stood, Ohtani and the Dodgers certainly aren’t complaining. After opening their season with a pair of wins, Los Angeles will now return to the United States and finish off their spring training action before resuming their regular-season play. Their next regular-season contest is scheduled for March 27, where they will begin a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers.
Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints, who also covers the NBA and MLB. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management, ran his own website, and had bylines at FanSided and the Basketball Network.
