Fans Flood Tokyo Dome For Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs' Open Workouts

With the Tokyo Series just a few days away, fans in Japan were eager to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs' stars warm up and take batting practice.
Los Angeles Dodgers fans watch Shohei Ohtani walk to the dugout to play the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale in Phoenix.
Los Angeles Dodgers fans watch Shohei Ohtani walk to the dugout to play the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale in Phoenix. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

First pitch of the Tokyo Series is still a few days away, but the festivities are already in full swing.

The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers held workouts at the Tokyo Dome on Friday, leaving the door open to fans for their run-of-the-mill practices. The Cubs took the field first, drawing a solid crowd to the 55,000-seat ballpark.

It marked the first time Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki had returned to Japan in Cubs uniforms.

Fans really showed out for the Dodgers, though, packing the lower bowl to catch a glimpse of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. The club's non-Japanese stars are box office draws themselves, from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to Clayton Kershaw and Blake Snell.

The Dodgers and Cubs' regular season will officially begin on Tuesday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:10 a.m. ET. They will face off again at the same time Wednesday, then head back to the United States to close out spring training and prepare for their domestic Opening Day contests on March 27.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.