Wilyer Abreu and Maikel Garcia smashed home runs as Venezuela dethroned defending champion Japan 8-5 on Saturday to reach a World Baseball Classic semi-final against undefeated Italy.<\/p>\n
The South American team will meet the upstart Italians on Monday in Miami for a berth in Tuesday’s championship game against the winner of Sunday’s semi-final between the United States and Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n
Japan had not lost in the Classic since a 2-1 semi-final defeat to the United States in 2017, but Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani could not lift his homeland into the final four.<\/p>\n
Abreu’s three-run homer in the sixth inning put Venezuela ahead for good and the Boston Red Sox outfielder was overjoyed.<\/p>\n
“That was an exciting moment,” Abreu said. “I just tried to tie the game with a sacrifice fly. He gave me a really good pitch to hit and I’m really excited for this swing.<\/p>\n
“I’ve never been in a place like this. The vibes are very high. In the semi-finals I hope I can do the same thing as today.”<\/p>\n
In Saturday’s other quarter-final at Houston, Italy held off a late rally to beat Puerto Rico 8-6 and reach the Classic semis for the first time.<\/p>\n
Red Sox left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez\u00a0started for Venezuela against Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto — last year’s World Series Most Valuable Player for the champion Los Angeles Dodgers.<\/p>\n
Venezuela’s Ronald Acuna Jr., an outfielder for Atlanta and 2023 National League Most Valuable Player, smashed the second pitch by Yamamoto over the centerfield wall for a 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n
Ohtani, a four-time MLB league MVP and two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers, answered by blasting a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first inning to lift Japan level.<\/p>\n
Venezuela took a 2-1 lead in the second on back-to-back doubles by Ezequiel Tovar and Gleyber Torres.<\/p>\n
Japan answered in the third when Sosuke Genda walked, advanced on a bunt sacrifice and, after Ohtani was intentionally walked, scored on a Teruaki Sato double down the right-field line.<\/p>\n
Shota Morishita, who entered when Seiya Suzuki hurt his right knee trying to steal second base, then blasted a three-run homer to left field to give Japan a 5-2 lead.<\/p>\n
Garcia answered by belting a two-run homer in the fifth inning to pull Venezuela within 5-4.<\/p>\n
Abreu’s homer lifted Venezuela ahead and a throwing error by pitcher Atsuki Taneichi in the eighth allowed Tovar to score from second, boosting the lead to 8-5.<\/p>\n
Japan brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth but couldn’t score.<\/p>\n
In the ninth Venezuelan relief pitcher Daniel Palencia struck out Genda and pinch-hitter Kensuke Kondoh and induced Ohtani to fly out to give Venezuela the victory, which qualified the nation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.<\/p>\n
– ‘Amazing’ Italy –<\/p>\n
A lineup of mostly American-born players with Italian heritage seized an 8-2 edge before hanging on late.<\/p>\n
“It’s amazing,” Italy and Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “What a group of guys. I think we’ve known each other for 12 days now. It’s phenomenal the work this group has put in.”<\/p>\n
The Italians, who stunned the star-studded United States in group play, gave up a Willi Castro leadoff homer for Puerto Rico in the first, but Pasquantino drove in a run to launch a four-run Italy outburst in the first.<\/p>\n
Puerto Rico pulled a run back in the second but four more Italian runs in the fourth were enough to hold off a four-run eighth by Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n
Boston Red Sox reliever Greg Weissert held his nerve in the ninth to claim the last three outs as the Azzurri advanced.<\/p>\n
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