Venezuela Advances to WBC Semifinals

Venezuela advanced to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) semifinals after an 8-5 victory over defending champion Japan, securing their spot in the six-nation field for the 2028 Olympic baseball tournament. The game, played at Miami's loanDepot Park, saw Wilyer Abreu hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning off Hiromi Itoh. Maikel Garcia also contributed with a two-run shot earlier in the game.

The victory marked Venezuela's first trip to the WBC semis since 2009 and snapped Japan's 11-game winning streak. Shohei Ohtani, who led Japanese batters with a .462 average, three homers, and seven RBIs, couldn't prevent the loss after hitting his third home run of the tournament.

Ohtani walked off the infield dejectedly after Japan’s 8-5 quarterfinal loss to Venezuela. He struck out in his final three plate appearances before making the final out in a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Ronald Acuña Jr. contributed with a leadoff home run for Venezuela, and Enmanuel De Jesus pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.

Japan's manager Hirokazu Ibata mentioned that they didn't have an option to let Ohtani pitch from the middle of the game due to his recent elbow operation. The team finished with a .284 batting average and a 3.35 ERA, down from their performance in previous tournaments.

In other action, Italy remained unbeaten after defeating Puerto Rico, earning their first trip to the semifinals. They will face Venezuela on Monday, while the United States plays the Dominican Republic in another semifinal matchup.