In an exciting World Baseball Classic quarterfinal, Venezuela met Japan for the first time in the tournament's history and claimed an impressive 8–5 victory. The game began with a historic moment when Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a home run in the very first inning, immediately answered by Japan's star batter Shohei Ohtani — the first time in the tournament's history that both teams hit home runs in their first at-bats. Although the Japanese took a 5–2 lead after a home run by Shota Morishita, the Venezuelans did not give up.
The decisive turning point came in the middle innings: first Maikel García cut the deficit with a solo home run in the fifth inning, and then Wuilmer Abreu hit a three-run home run in the sixth, putting his team ahead 7–5. In the eighth inning Venezuela added another run, sealing the victory. This emotional win, achieved in Miami in front of numerous fans, advanced the Venezuelan team to the semifinals of the prestigious international tournament and became a true triumph for the entire country.
Full version: ¡Sayonara! Venezuela se viste de gloria tras eliminar a Japón del CMB (+Video)