The Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball defeated Major League teams for two consecutive days. Following the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers were also shackled by Hanshin's formidable pitching. The Dodgers struck out 12 times, with a meager 3 hits and no runs, tarnishing their status as the reigning World Series champions.

Hanshin, led by new manager Kyuji Fujikawa, won against the Dodgers 3-0 in the 2025 MLB World Tour Tokyo Series preseason game held at Tokyo Dome on the 16th.

On the previous day (15th), thanks to the perfect performance of left-handed prospect Montez Keito, who achieved 2 strikeouts over 5 innings, Hanshin secured a commanding 3-0 victory over the Cubs, demonstrating the high level of Japanese baseball and its strong pitching by overpowering the Dodgers with the same score.

On this day, the pitchers shone. Hanshin ace Hiroto Saiki started and suppressed the Dodgers' powerful lineup, allowing only 1 hit and 1 walk while achieving 7 strikeouts over 5 innings without allowing any runs. He had a no-hitter going until allowing the first hit to Max Muncy in the fifth inning. Shohei Ohtani struck out swinging at a forkball in the first inning against Saiki and grounded out to center field in the fourth inning after hitting a high four-seam fastball.

Through the fifth inning, Saiki pitched a total of 83 pitches, including 58 strikes and 25 balls. His peak speed was 95 miles per hour (152.9 km), with an average of 93.4 miles per hour (150.3 km), throwing 46 four-seam fastballs, 16 forkballs, 14 sliders, 5 curves, and 2 changeups. At 189 cm tall, his powerful fastball and the movement of the forkball, caught as a cutter by Baseball Savant, were impressive. Using the forkball as his out pitch, he recorded 5 strikeouts. With stable control, he stifled the Dodgers' powerful lineup.

The Dodgers' starter Blake Snell also dominated the Hanshin lineup through the third inning, striking out 5 batters in a perfect game. However, when the batting order turned for the second time in the bottom of the fourth inning, Hanshin hitters targeted Snell. Lead-off hitter Koji Chikamoto reached base with a walk, breaking the perfect game, and Takumu Nakano followed with a hit to center field, halting the no-hitter. In the next play, with no outs and runners on first and third, left-handed slugger Teruaki Sato, who has hit 84 home runs over 4 seasons in Japan, hit a three-run homer.

Sato pulled a 95-mile-per-hour (152.9 km) four-seam fastball that came in high and outside on the fifth pitch from Snell, clearing the right-center field fence. The ball's speed was recorded at 100.4 miles per hour (161.6 km), with a distance of 373 feet (113.7 m) and a launch angle of 34 degrees. This marked the first score of the game and the winning run.

Following Saito, Harvey Guerra in the sixth, Hidetaka Okadome in the seventh, Takuma Kirishiki in the eighth, and Daichi Ishii in the ninth all held the Dodgers scoreless for one inning, concluding the game. With two consecutive 3-0 victories, the team achieved a complete game shutout. Supported by strong pitching and stable defense, Hanshin pulled off the upset by defeating Major League teams for two straight days. Nakano contributed with 2 hits in the batting lineup.

Dodgers starter Snell took the loss, pitching 4 1/3 innings and giving up 3 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, 7 strikeouts, and 3 earned runs. Tyler Glasnow, who came in as the third pitcher, pitched 4 innings, allowing 2 hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts without allowing any runs. While Hanshin's victory was confirmed at the end of the eighth inning, the ninth inning was played as it's a preseason game, and Glasnow completed 4 innings, increasing his pitch count to 64 in preparation for the season.

The silence of the Dodgers' batting lineup was disappointing. Ohtani recorded 2 at-bats with no hits and 1 strikeout before being substituted, while the lineup recorded just 3 hits and struck out 12 times. Given the unpredictable nature of baseball, the Dodgers could lose a game, but the content was certainly disappointing for them.

After taking a day off on the 17th, the Dodgers will have their opening game against the Cubs on the 18th. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to start for the Dodgers, while Shota Imagawa is expected to start for the Cubs. This will be the first matchup between Japanese starting pitchers in Major League history, taking place during the Tokyo Series.

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