• The later innings of this game have so far been fairly uneventful compared to the early ones — neither team has mounted much of a threat. But can the Cubs put up a fight in the ninth?
• Matt Shaw helped end the Dodgers’ threat in the top of the inning in flashy fashion, and the Dodgers couldn’t get anything going in the bottom half
• The Dodgers had a runner on second, and Craig Counsell was not about to mess around.

Shohei Ohtani got intentionally walked and Craig Counsell is now being booed lustily in Tokyo.

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 19, 2025

• Both the Dodgers’ and Cubs’ offenses went down quietly in the sixth. Can the Cubs mount a late-game comeback?
• The Cubs keep chipping away. Jack Dreyer came in to pitch for the Dodgers, and after two quick outs, he got into some trouble. Matt Shaw singled, and Dansby Swanson hit an RBI double to bring him home before Pete Crow-Armstrong flied out to end the inning.
• Shohei Ohtani just unloaded on a 99 mph Nate Pearson fastball for what looked like an absolute no-doubt homer to center field, but the ball only just barely carried over the high outfield wall for the Dodgers’ third home run of the game.
• Although it appeared a fan might have reached over and gotten a hand on the ball as it was coming down, the play was reviewed and confirmed to be a home run rather than fan interference. Add it to Ohtani’s ever-expanding highlight reel.
• The Cubs were able to tack on a run in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Carson Kelly drew a walk and Jon Berti singled, setting Ian Happ up for an RBI single to left field. Luis Garcîa struck out Seiya Suzuki to end the threat.
• Luis García takes over for the Dodgers.
• Nine outs into Roki Sasaki’s debut, and we’ve seen the good and the bad, the tantalizing and the concerning. The stuff is ludicrous, but five walks through three innings isn’t a sustainable way to do business.
• Sasaki came out chucking triple digits in the first inning, blowing a pitch by Seiya Suzuki for his first MLB strikeout, but the fastball velocity has slid into the 95-96 range here in the middle innings. The splitter, Sasaki’s moneymaking unicorn offering, has showcased outrageous movement, but he hasn’t really located it in the strike zone.
• The Cubs also have two stolen bases already, taking advantage of Sasaki’s long motion toward home plate. It’s not a shock that Sasaki looks unpolished in his debut outing, but it’s a testament to his immense talent that despite the rocky road, he has allowed just one run.
• Roki Sasaki got into some trouble in the third, giving up a single to Jon Berti and then walking three straight to put the Cubs on the board. He was able to work back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.
• Tommy Edman delivers the first home run of the 2025 season with a blast to left field off Justin Steele that gives the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. It’s no secret that the switch-hitting Edman demolishes southpaw pitching in particular, making him an ideal player to plug into the top of the lineup with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman out of action.
• Both teams mounted threats in the inning, but only the Dodgers were able to capitalize, on a sac fly and passed ball. Roki Sasaki issued a pair of walks in the bottom half of the inning, but worked around them to escape unscathed.
• A leadoff walk to Will Smith and a double by Max Muncy came back to bite the Cubs as the Dodgers got on the board.
• Roki Sasaki gets the first strikeout of his MLB career against fellow countryman Seiya Suzuki, and he has a clean first inning to open things up.