In the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal matchup between Japan vs Venezuela WBC, Venezuela surged ahead 7–5 after Wilyer Abreu blasted a crucial three-run home run. The powerful hit shifted the momentum late in the game as play moved into the seventh inning. Venezuela’s comeback effort had already begun earlier when Maikel Garcia launched a two-run homer in the fifth inning. The contest started dramatically, with both teams hitting leadoff home runs—Ronald Acuña Jr. for Venezuela and Shohei Ohtani for Japan.
How Venezuela Turned the Game Around
Japan originally held a 5–2 advantage, but Venezuela responded with five straight runs to flip the game. Garcia’s two-run homer in the fifth inning sparked the rally, bringing the team within reach. Soon after, Abreu delivered a decisive three-run shot to the right-field upper deck during the sixth inning, pushing Venezuela ahead and changing the score to 7–5 by the seventh.
Abreu’s home run sparked an emotional celebration as teammates rushed out of the dugout and fans inside Miami’s loanDepot Park erupted. The outfielder flipped his bat while watching the ball sail out of the stadium, highlighting one of the most memorable moments of the Japan vs Venezuela WBC game.
Historic Leadoff Home Runs by Ohtani and Acuña
The quarterfinal opened with a rare spectacle. Acuña connected on the second pitch from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, sending a 401-foot drive to right-center field for his second home run of the tournament. Moments later, Ohtani responded with a 427-foot blast to center field off Ranger Suárez. The ball left his bat at 113.6 mph and marked his third homer of the tournament Japan vs Venezuela WBC.
This exchange was historically significant because it marked the first time in a regular or postseason contest that two former MVP winners each hit leadoff home runs in the same Japan vs Venezuela WB Cgame.
Pitching Changes, Defensive Plays, and Late-Game Action
Pitching decisions and defensive plays later shaped the Japan vs Venezuela WBC game’s flow. Venezuela brought in Ángel Zerpa during the seventh inning, and he quickly struck out Shohei Ohtani after retiring Kenya Wakatsuki with a backdoor slider. Earlier in the game, Japanese pitcher Atsuki Taneichi recorded a key strikeout against Eugenio Suárez, completing a clean inning against the heart of Venezuela’s lineup.
Venezuela also received a strong performance from Emmanuel De Jesus, who delivered two solid innings before leaving the mound to a standing ovation from the Miami crowd. Japan responded with a pitching change in the sixth inning, bringing in José Buttó, who started his outing by forcing Shugo Maki into a groundout.
Defensively, Ezequiel Tovar made a crucial play to catch Sosuke Genda’s sinking line drive near the end of the sixth inning. Additional defensive stops by Salvador Perez and Jackson Chourio helped end innings for Venezuela. Although Ronald Acuña Jr. struck out looking after Abreu’s home run, Japan vs Venezuela WBC already shifted the momentum with their offensive surge beginning in the fifth inning.
As the game moved deeper into the late innings, the score stood at Venezuela 7, Japan 5, with Shohei Ohtani due up again after the seventh-inning stretch and both teams preparing for the next decisive moments.