"You guys had a legend right there" - MLB fans impressed as 'Last Samurai' actor Hiroyuki Sanada throws first pitch at Dodger stadium

MLB fans reacted to Shogun and Last Samurai actor Hiroyuki Sanada throwing the ceremonial pitch at the Dodger stadium ahead of game four in the series between the LA Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals on Easter Sunday.

There was another ceremonial thrower on the day. It was a group, as all three Chicano Batman band members were present inside the Diamond ahead of the Easter Sunday clash.

Hiroyuki Sanada threw a perfect picture to Yoshinobu Yamamoto behind the base plate, acting as the catcher. The Shogun star bowed down to the elctrifying reception he received from the crowd and walked towards Yamamoto to shake his hand and bow down, showcasing Japanese greeting culture inside the Dodger Stadium.

Take a look at Hiroyuki Sanada's ceremonial pitch in this Instagram thread:

The 63-year-old is a renowned actor in the film industry and has acted in many Hollywood movies over the years. MLB fans reacted to the inaugural picture via the Instagram post.

"Oh damn you guys had a legend right there"

Screenshot of Fan Reactions to Dodgers Instagram post

He started his acting career with Japanese and Hong Kong action movies and later started to experiment with more dramatic roles. He has received multiple accolades during his acting career and is a member of the Order of the British Empire (2002).

Before his ceremonial pitch at the Dodger Stadium, in a conversation with ABC7.com, Hiroyuki Sanada said:

"Very honored, and a bit nervous, of course. I was a baseball kid. I played a lot when I was a kid."

He threw a perfect strike to start proceedings for the Easter Sunday clash, which saw the Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 and take the inaugural home series of the 2024 campaign 3-1 at the Dodger Stadium.

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LA Dodgers beat the SF Giants at Dodger Stadium

The Dodgers continued their good run in form, as they took down the SF Giants in game one of a three-game home series at Dodger Stadium before they hit the road to take on the Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Twins. The Dodgers beat the Giants 8-3 on Monday, where they dominated both aspects of the game.

The LA Dodgers bullpen was phenomenal. Starting pitcher James Paxton gave up no runs in five innings pitched, while Dinelson Lamet closed the game in style, giving up no runs or hits in the final two innings.

On the hitting front, two RBIs each from Will Smith and Freddie Freeman, one from Shohei Ohtani, and another blockbuster performance from RF Teoscar Hernandez, who smashed a three-run bomb, helped the Dodgers continue their hot streak in 2024.