Venezuela defeated Japan 8-5 in the World Baseball Classic, with Wilyer Abreu hitting a pivotal three-run homer to lead the comeback after Maikel Garcia’s two-run shot. This victory took Venezuela to its first WBC semifinals since 2009 and secured its spot in the 2028 Olympic baseball tournament. Venezuela will face Italy next, while Japan’s 11-game WBC winning streak ended despite Shohei Ohtani’s third homer of the tournament. Enmanuel De Jesus earned the win for Venezuela with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
