The Japanese slugger was introduced before each at-bat to loud roars that continued until a few seconds before the pitch, when the crowd went into a silent trance that’s normally reserved for events like Wimbledon or the Masters.

The Dodgers defeated the Cubs 6-3, making Sota’s evening complete. He said it was the first time he’d seen Ohtani in person. The Dodgers also won on Tuesday 4-1, sweeping the two-game series in Tokyo to open the MLB regular season.

This week wasn’t about the defending World Series champions visiting Japan, or Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s transformation, or even Roki Sasaki’s major league debut.