For two days in Japan, it's the Hanshin Tigers who have looked like the class of the National League. In another sign that Japanese baseball has never been better, the Tigers capped a two-game sweep over MLB clubs with a 3-0 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at the Tokyo Dome.

Japanese baseball eclipses MLB at the Tokyo Dome where not only was a filler game played in spring training; this was a transcontinental showdown that ignited the fuse for the 2025

The Tokyo Dome press seating was situated on the opposite side of the stadium, a little ways up the third-base line. But even from that vantage point, it was hard to miss. If the sight of the giant flags waving didn’t draw your attention, the sound of the drums would.