In the Cubs’ 4-2 win against the Yomiuri Giants in an exhibition game Sunday, Boyd threw four shutout innings in relief, in the latest step of his spring training buildup. And, pitching in the Tokyo Dome in front of 42,000 fans, he clocked in at least 94.5 mph five times.

In their final game action until they face the Dodgers on Tuesday, the Cubs regained some positive momentum with a 4-2 win against the Yomiuri Giants of the NPB. The Cubs looked much better than their previous exhibition, a sign that they may finally be acclimated to the unique environment that Tokyo provides.

But the Japanese players who were playing in front of their home country at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday handled any jitters they had quite well, delivering in clutch moments as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-1, in Major League Baseball’s season opener.

The only Japanese player who had a quiet night was Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki, who finished 0 for 4 at the plate. With a runner on second in the eighth inning, he hit the ball fairly hard, but Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was there to snag the line drive.