Japan’s hopes of setting up a blockbuster showdown with Team USA – and defending its World Baseball Classic title – were ended by Venezuela in a dramatic upset on Saturday night.
Shohei Ohtani and Co were among the favorites to win the international tournament but Japan suffered an 8-5 quarterfinal loss to Venezuela on a rollercoaster night in Miami.
The game swung on an incredible three-run homer from Wilyer Abreu that saw Venezuela move 7-5 in front in the sixth inning.
The underdogs now head to the semifinals, where they will play Italy. The United States will take on the Dominican Republic for a place in the final.
Aaron Judge‘s team booked its place in the last four with victory over Canada on Friday.
After sneaking through to the knockout stages of the WBC – despite humiliation against Italy in Pool B – the Americans made light work of their northern rivals in the quarterfinals.
Japan was beaten by Venezuela in a dramatic World Baseball Classic quarterfinal on Saturday
Venezuela celebrate the win in Miami that secured them a semifinal clash against Italy
The Canadians launched a late sixth-inning rally but that wasn’t enough to prevent the USA from securing a 5-3 win in Houston, Texas.
On Saturday, meanwhile Venezuela reached its first WBC semifinals since 2009 and clinched a spot in the six-nation field for the 2028 Olympic baseball tournament, along with the US and the Dominican Republic.
Venezuela will face unbeaten Italy on Monday, a day after the US takes on the Dominicans.
Abreu gave Venezuela a 7-5 lead when he homered off loser Hiromi Itoh in the sixth, driving a 2-1 four-seam fastball 409ft to right for his first home run of the tournament.
Ezequiel Tovar made it 8-5 in the eighth, leading off with a double then scoring on a throwing error by Atsuki Taneichi on a pickoff attempt. Ohtani’s third home run of the tournament wasn’t enough for Japan, which had its 11-game WBC winning streak snapped.
Ohtani, the 2023 WBC MVP, led off the bottom of the first by lifting a 2-1 slider from Ranger Suárez 427 feet to center after Ronald Acuna Jr. homered on the second pitch from Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
