Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a little extra zip on his fastball. Shohei Ohtani even admitted to some nerves. There was little doubt this was no ordinary baseball game. But the Japanese players who were playing in front of their home country at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday night handled any jitters they had quite well,

Baseball fever swept through Tokyo on Tuesday as the MLB season got underway, offering fans a rare opportunity to glimpse homegrown star Shohei Ohtani in action.

In what was a display of Japanese baseball excellence, Ohtani’s teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto faced off against Shota Imanaga, marking the first game in MLB history which featured two Japanese-born starting pitchers in an Opening Day game.

Opening Day gave the fans inside the Tokyo Dome and those tuning in around the globe much of what they wanted to see. Shohei Ohtani sparked the L.A. lineup, while Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga and Dodgers righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto turned in strong outings.

The first MLB Tokyo Series game between the Cubs and Dodgers also featured Pokemon references, such as Pikachu mascots on the field.