Venezuela secured an 8-5 victory over Japan in the World Baseball Classic quarter-finals, a result that sends them through to the semi-finals and secures a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Venezuela’s win over the defending WBC champions marked the nation’s first ever appearance in the WBC semi-finals. It also means Venezuela will participate in the Olympic baseball tournament for the first time.
Manager Omar López said it was “the most gratifying feeling you can have as a Venezuelan”.
Acuña Jr. Leads the Charge
Venezuela’s offence was powered by home runs from Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia, and Wilyer Abreu. Acuña Jr. hit the second pitch of the game from Yoshinobu Yamamoto for a leadoff home run.
Garcia added a two-run homer in the fifth. Abreu then crushed a three-run homer in the sixth off Hiromi Itoh, completing a three-run comeback.
Abreu described the feeling as “something incredible” and “one of the best moments that I’ve had in my life.”
Ohtani’s Impact
Shohei Ohtani matched Acuña in the bottom of the first inning, hitting a slider from Ranger Suarez for a leadoff home run to tie the score. Shota Morishita later hit a three-run homer off Suárez to give Japan a 5-2 lead.
Japan did not score again, however, as six Venezuela relievers pitched 6⅓ scoreless innings. Ohtani flied out to end the game.
Tactical Masterclass
López revealed that the team had dedicated significant time to studying Japan’s lineup. He said, “We had a meeting two days ago for an hour and a half projecting Japan’s lineup.”
López added, “We decided we had to neutralise the moves Japan made, and that’s what we did. It was teamwork.”
Suárez pitched 2⅔ innings, conceding five runs on three hits.
- Venezuela defeated Japan 8-5.
- Venezuela advanced to face Italy in the semi-finals.
- Venezuela qualified for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Venezuela will now face Italy in the WBC semi-finals on Monday.