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TOKYO – Cubs reliever Julian Merryweather had heard about Nippon Professional Baseball fans’ enthusiasm, but he didn’t know exactly what to expect.
With the team going with a bullpen day for their first exhibition game in Japan, Merryweather opened for the Cubs against the NPB’s Hanshin Tigers. And after a relatively subdued first half inning, the chants began soon after Merryweather took the mound for warmup pitches.
“As a reliever, I kind of liked the energy from the crowd cheering,” he said after the Cubs’ 3-0 loss Saturday afternoon.