Venezuela staged a thrilling comeback to defeat defending champion Japan 8-5 in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals, securing their first semifinal appearance since 2009 and a berth in the 2028 Olympic baseball tournament alongside the United States and Dominican Republic.
Venezuela’s Key Hits Spark Rally
Maikel Garcia ignited the turnaround with a two-run homer in the fifth inning against Chihiro Sumida, pulling Venezuela within one run at 5-4. Wilyer Abreu then delivered the go-ahead blow in the sixth, crushing a three-run homer off Hiromi Itoh—a 409-foot drive to right field on a 2-1 fastball—that put Venezuela ahead 7-5.
Ezequiel Tovar extended the lead to 8-5 in the eighth, leading off with a double and scoring on a throwing error by Atsuki Taneichi during a pickoff attempt.
Japan’s Early Lead and Ohtani’s Power
Japan jumped out to a 5-2 advantage after a four-run third inning, highlighted by Shota Morishita’s tiebreaking three-run homer off Ranger Suárez. Morishita filled in at center field for the injured Seiya Suzuki, who exited due to a knee issue.
Shohei Ohtani, the 2023 WBC MVP, added his third tournament homer leading off the bottom of the first—a 427-foot shot to center off Suárez. Earlier, Ronald Acuña Jr. had homered on the second pitch of the game against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a 401-foot blast to right-center.
Despite Ohtani’s efforts, Japan’s 11-game WBC winning streak ended. Enmanuel De Jesus earned the win with 2⅓ scoreless innings, while Daniel Palencia secured the save by retiring Ohtani on a pop out for the final out.
Upcoming Matchups
Venezuela next faces unbeaten Italy on Monday, following the U.S.-Dominican Republic showdown the previous day.
