








Venezuela secured a historic 8-5 victory over defending champions Japan to advance to the World Baseball Classic semifinals for the first time since 2009. Wilyer Abreu’s three-run homer in the sixth inning proved decisive, overturning a 5-2 deficit sparked by Shota Morishita’s earlier blast. Despite Shohei Ohtani’s 427-foot home run, Japan’s 11-game winning streak ended as Daniel Palencia forced Ohtani to pop out for the final out. Maikel Garcia and Ronald Acuña Jr. also homered for Venezuela, who now face Italy on Monday. This win also clinches Venezuela’s spot in the 2028 Olympic baseball tournament alongside the U.S. and Dominican Republic. Watch some of the best pictures below.









