Cubs-Dodgers looking to join memorable MLB matchups abroad - ESPN

Early on Tuesday morning, the MLB season will get underway, with the first pitch of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs' contest slated for 6:10 a.m. ET, played thousands of miles away from Los Angeles or Chicago, in Tokyo.

Featuring a matchup between two teams loaded with top Japanese talent — Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki for the Dodgers, Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs — the game (as well as the second game of the series Wednesday) will be the 43rd and 44th MLB contests played internationally, with destinations ranging from Australia to Puerto Rico.

Here are some of the most memorable global matchups from the past:

Location: London

Major League Baseball's most recent trip abroad came in summer 2024, when the league played its third series across the Atlantic Ocean in London.

The first matchup between the Mets and Phillies wasn't much to remember — every batter in Philadelphia's starting lineup recorded at least one hit as the Phillies cruised to a 7-2 victory. The second game of the two-game series was plenty memorable though, as the Mets scored three runs in the top of the ninth before ending the game with a bases-loaded double play in the bottom of the inning.

WHAT A DOUBLE-PLAY TO WIN THE GAME FOR THE METS IN LONDON