In a shocking upset at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Venezuela defeated defending champion Japan 8-5 in the quarterfinals on Saturday, booking its first semifinal appearance since 2009. The win also ended Japan's historic consistency in the tournament, as the three-time champions had reached the semifinals in every previous edition since the competition began in 2006.
Venezuela opened the scoring when Ronald Acuna Jr. crushed the second pitch of the game from Yoshinobu Yamamoto for a 401-foot home run, his second of the tournament. Shohei Ohtani answered immediately, launching a 427-foot solo homer in the bottom of the first, his third home run of the tournament.
By the third inning, Japan seemed to be taking charge. After Seiya Suzuki left the game with a right-knee injury suffered during a stolen-base attempt, his replacement, Shota Morishita, hammered a 388-foot, three-run homer off Venezuelan starter Ranger Suarez. The hit finished off a four-run inning and gave Japan a 5-2 advantage.
Venezuela responded once Yamamoto exited after four innings. Maikel Garcia began the comeback with a two-run home run in the fifth inning off Chihiro Sumida, making it a one-run game. Wilyer Abreu provided the breakthrough in the sixth, blasting a 409-foot go-ahead three-run homer against Hiromi Itoh to give Venezuela a 7-5 lead.
Venezuela tacked on another run in the eighth when Ezequiel Tovar doubled and later scored on a throwing error during a pickoff attempt by Atsuki Taneichi. The bullpen then closed things out, with Enmanuel De Jesus earning the win after 2⅓ scoreless innings and Daniel Palencia recording the save by retiring Ohtani on a popout.
Venezuela's offense finished with three home runs and two doubles, while the pitching staff retired 13 consecutive Japanese hitters at one point and pitched 6⅓ shutout relief innings. The result ended Japan's 11-game WBC winning streak and secured Venezuela a berth in the six-team baseball field for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Venezuela will face Italy in the semifinals, while the United States meets the Dominican Republic in the other matchup.
