Wilyer Abreu hit a go-ahead, three-run home run after Maikel Garcia sparked the comeback with a two-run shot, and Venezuela beat Shohei Ohtani and defending champion Japan 8-5 in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday night to advance to the semifinals.
Venezuela reached its first WBC semis since 2009 and clinched a spot in the six-nation field for the 2028 Olympic baseball tournament, along with the United States and the Dominican Republic.
Venezuela will face unbeaten Italy on Monday, a day after the U.S. plays 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 409 feet 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 Acuña Jr. homered on the second pitch from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, driving a fastball 401 feet to right-center for his second home run of the WBC.
Enmanuel De Jesus pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Daniel Palencia got the save, ending Japan’s fate by getting Ohtani to pop out for the final out.
Japan led 5-2 after a four-run third in which Shota Morishita, who replaced the injured Seiya Suzuki at center field, hit a tiebreaking, three-run home run off Suárez. The veteran left-hander who picked up a win in a group stage game against the Netherlands pitched 2 2/3 innings on Saturday, allowing three hits, five runs and two home runs.
Garcia homered on the eighth pitch against Chihiro Sumida to pull Venezuela within 5-4 in the fifth.
Italy 8, Puerto Rico 6
Italy’s Andrew Fischer celebrates after hitting a two-run double during the fourth inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal against Puerto Rico on Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (Karen Warren/AP)
HOUSTON — J.J. D’Orazio doubled with three RBIs and Andrew Fischer drove in two runs as Italy kept up its charmed World Baseball Classic run with a win over Puerto Rico on Saturday to earn its first trip to the semifinals.
The Azzurri improved to 5-0 in the tournament and advanced to face defending champion Japan or Venezuela on Monday night in Miami.
Italy trailed only briefly after a leadoff home run by Willi Castro before scoring four runs in the first inning to go on top for good. Puerto Rico rallied late, scoring four runs in the eighth, but Greg Weissert allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth for a five-out save.
Puerto Rico, in the quarterfinals for a sixth time, fell to 1-2 against Italy in the WBC.
Italy was up by two in the fourth when it drew three straight walks that loaded the bases with two outs. Fischer hit a ball to right field that a fan reached over the fence to catch, and Fischer was credited with a double on fan interference for a 6-2 lead. D’Orazio followed with a two-run, ground-rule double.
Eddie Rosario hit into a run-scoring forceout in the eighth, Joe La Sorsa threw a run-scoring wild pitch and Christian Vázquez hit a two-run single. Weissert allowed a two-out single before retiring Nolan Arenado on an inning-ending groundout.
Castro’s shot to the Crawford Boxes in left field on winner Sam Aldegheri’s fourth pitch put Puerto Rico, its second home run of the tournament.
Vinnie Pasquantino, who set a WBC record with three homers in Italy’s previous game, hit a tying single in the bottom half, and RBI singles by Dominic Canzone and Jac Caglianone chased loser Seth Lugo. D’Orazio hit a sacrifice fly off Jovani Morán.
Aldegheri walked two batters with one out in the second and hit Matthew Lugo on the top of a foot with a pitch. Alek Jacob forced in a run when he entered with the bases loaded and plunked Martin Maldonado with his first pitch.