![\"Baseball:](\"https:\/\/images.deadspin.com\/tr:w-900\/28500012.jpg\")
Mar 14, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Japan designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (16) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Venezuela in the first inning during a quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\nWilyer Abreu hit the go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning Saturday night for Venezuela, which eliminated defending champion Japan with an 8-5 win in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals in Miami.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Venezuela, the runner-up in Pool D with a 3-1 record, will face Italy in Monday night’s semifinal. Italy outlasted Puerto Rico 8-6 in Houston earlier Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The winner of Venezuela-Italy will advance to Tuesday’s championship game against the winner of Sunday’s semifinal between the United States and the Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Japan, which went 4-0 in Pool C play, was eliminated prior to the semifinals for the first time in six WBCs as its bid for a fourth title ended.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Abreu’s homer provided the biggest flourish in an entertaining game that began in historic fashion when Ronald Acuna Jr. and Shohei Ohtani each homered leading off the first.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Acuna Jr., the 2023 National League Most Valuable Player, and Ohtani, the two-time defending NL MVP who also won two MVPs in the American League, are the first pair of former MVPs to lead off the same game with homers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n <\/p>\n Gleyber Torres gave Venezuela the lead a second time with an RBI double in the second before Japan went ahead 5-2 in the third, when Teruaki Sato delivered a run-scoring double and Shota Morishita later followed with a three-run homer.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Morishita entered the game an inning earlier in place of Seiya Suzuki, who exited with a right knee injury after he was caught stealing in the first.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Venezuela began its comeback in the fifth, when Maikel Garcia hit a two-run homer. Ezequiel Tovar and Torres opened the sixth with singles against losing pitcher Hiromi Itoh before Abreu unleashed a wild celebration by hitting a 409-foot homer to right.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Tovar added an insurance run in the eighth when he scored from second when Atsuki Taneichi’s pickoff throw sailed into centerfield.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Enmanuel De Jesus, Venezuela’s third pitcher, earned the win with 2 1\/3 innings of one-hit ball. Daniel Palancia notched the save by striking out two in a perfect ninth that ended with Ohtani popping out.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Ranger Suarez started and the game for Venezuela and gave up all five runs in 2 2\/3 innings.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto started for Japan and allowed two runs in four innings.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n