For two days in Japan, it's the Hanshin Tigers who have looked like the class of the National League. In another sign that Japanese baseball has never been better, the Tigers capped a two-game sweep over MLB clubs with a 3-0 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at the Tokyo Dome.

Behind a superb start from Hiroto Saiki, the Hanshin Tigers didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning and defeated the Dodgers 3-0 at the Tokyo Dome.

The Chicago Cubs began their first of two exhibition games in Japan by losing 3-0 to the Hanshin Tigers. Offensively, the Cubs were held without a hit until the sixth inning and finished with just three in the contest.

Nearly 25 years after Ichiro Suzuki embarked on a Hall of Fame career for the Seattle Mariners, the impact of Japanese players in Major League Baseball is at a high point.

Last year, the Padres and Dodgers got the MLB regular season started early with two games in South Korea. This year, it’s the Cubs and Dodgers kicking things off the week before league-wide Opening Day.

The MLB Opening Day is about to start where the champion team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, will open the 2025 season in Japan with the "Tokyo Series" on Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesda