The Chicago Cubs got swept in the Tokyo Series, dropping the second game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, losing 6-3.
The Cubs in this series were outscored 10-4, with the Dodgers offense exploding for 14 hits and launching three home runs in the second game.
The series did have one bright spot to it, with the Cubs’ top prospect, Matt Shaw, getting his first big league hit on an infield single.
The second game was a disaster for the Cubs, which started from pitch one with Justin Steele not looking great in his first start of the season.
Chicago Cubs left-hander struggles in his debut
Mar 19, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, JPN; Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (35) delievers a pitch against the Dodgers in the first inning during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Steele was not sharp in his first start of the season, allowing five runs on five hits, with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work. The bugaboo for Steele was the walks, which he allowed five.
The other issue for Steele in the game was he left too many pitches over the heart of the plate, which led him to give up two home runs. Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernádez was one of those two home runs, tattooing a hanging slider to leftfield that fell right into his bat path.
“Kiké Hernández CRUSHES this pitch! #TokyoSeries”
Kiké Hernández CRUSHES this pitch! #TokyoSeries pic.twitter.com/XWfcSKh02Y
— MLB (@MLB) March 19, 2025
A bounce back for his next outing
Even though Steele struggled in his first start, he has stuff to build off of and work on for his next start, which should come in Arizona when the Cubs play the Diamondbacks.
The good part of Steele’s outing was that his fastball was sharp, and he located it well. That’s a good sign and something he can build off to have more success in his next outing.
Steele has to utilize his changeup more in his next start. If he does, hitters won’t just sit on his fastball and slider, which the Dodgers did today.
The Cubs will return to the States, where they’ll finish up camp and wait to begin the domestic leg of their season, which starts on March 27.
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