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TOKYO – The Tokyo Dome fell quiet as Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga stared down the mound and Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani settled into his stance in the batter’s box.
After an Opening Day ceremony that included a grand-piano national anthem performance, flashing wristbands across the stadium timed up to hype videos, and giant on-field Pikachus bobbing along to lineup announcements, it was a discordant moment of stillness.
Then Imanaga unleashed a high heater for the first pitch of the game, a called strike.