Three years after giving Japan the world crown on the same diamond, Shohei Ohtani was retired for the 27th out by Venezuelan pitching, thus securing their ticket to the next round by eliminating the defending champions from the World Baseball Classic. Miami.

Ronald Acuna Jr., Maikel Garcia and Wilyer Abreu hit home runs and the Venezuelan team, supported by an impeccable performance from their bullpen, won 8-5 to advance to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic, where they will face the surprising Italy. The game will be played Monday night, also at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Down 5-2, Venezuela attacked the Japanese relief pitching with home runs, which have been plentiful in this edition of the World Baseball Classic. First, Maikel Garcia of the Kansas City Royals hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and an inning later, Wilyer Abreu of the Boston Red Sox sent the Venezuelan fans into a frenzy with a three-run blast to give Venezuela a 7-5 lead. Abreu's home run, off the losing pitcher Hiromi Itoh, landed on the second deck of the stadium in right field. Venezuela added another run against the battered Japanese bullpen when reliever Atsuki Taneishi grounded out to second base on a reversal. Allowing runner Ezequiel Tovar to score the 8-5 in the eighth inning.

Daniel Palencia, Venezuela's sixth reliever, retired the side in the ninth to kick off the Venezuelan celebration. Ohtani, who struck out Mike Trout for the final out of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, popped out to shortstop to end Saturday's game.

The great promise of Venezuela's powerful baseball finally materialized before a global audience, winning a hard-fought game with authority. No one can count out the team managed by Omar Lopez.

Acuna and Ohtani's show in the first inning

The game began with fireworks. The biggest stars of both teams opened the game with home runs. First, Ronald Acuna Jr. connected off star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to right-center field to open the scoring. But minutes later, Shohei Ohtani responded in kind against starting pitcher Ranger Suarez,launching a home run over the right-field fence to tie the game 1-1. Yamamoto, the Dodgers' World Series MVP, was hit hard by Venezuela in the early innings. Ezequiel Tovar doubled off the center-field wall in the second inning and scored a double by Gleyber Torres, a hit that also nearly went over the fence. Yamamoto lasted 4 innings (69 pitches), allowing 4 hits, 2 runs, striking out 5, and walking 1. He had no decision.

Japan mounted a four-run rally in the third inning. Teruaki Sato drove in a run to tie the game 2-2 with a double, and then Shota Morishita followed with a three-run homer to left field to put his team ahead 5-2 off left-hander Suarez, who was removed after only 2.2 innings.

But after that third-inning rally, Japan's offense was kept in check, allowing the South American team to celebrate their ticket to the semifinals.

Enmanuel de Jesus was the winning pitcher with 2.1 innings. Six Venezuelan relievers combined for 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing only 4 hits.