Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu Powers Venezuela To Upset Win Over Japan In WBC

· Yahoo Sports

Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu Powers Venezuela To Upset Win Over Japan In WBC originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Visit een-wit.pl for more information.

In a thrilling World Baseball Classic quarterfinal matchup on Saturday night at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Team Venezuela stunned defending champions Japan with an 8-5 victory, advancing to the semifinals against Italy. In the end, it was Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu who delivered the heroics for Venezuela.

Venezuela struck first when Ronald Acuña Jr. launched a leadoff solo homer in the top of the first off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, giving his team an early 1-0 edge. Japan responded immediately, with Ohtani blasting a leadoff homer of his own in the bottom half against Red Sox lefty Ranger Suarez. The Japanese squad built momentum, plating four more runs by the fourth inning—thanks to hits from Taisei Ota and Shugo Maki—taking a commanding 5-2 lead.

But Venezuela's lineup refused to fade. In the fifth, Royals infielder Maikel Garcia crushed a two-run homer off reliever Chihiro Sumida, narrowing the gap to 5-4 and energizing the dugout.

The turning point came in the sixth, when Abreu stepped up against Hiromi Itoh, Japan's ace reliever and recent Sawamura Award winner. With runners on first and second and one out, Abreu unleashed a monstrous three-run homer to right field, soaring into the upper deck. The blast flipped the score to 7-5, accompanied by an exuberant bat flip that sent the crowd of over 34,000 into a frenzy and had his teammates spilling onto the field. Abreu later credited Garcia's homer for shifting the team's energy.

Venezuela tacked on an insurance run in the eighth via a Gleyber Torres RBI single. The bullpen, led by Angel Zerpa and closer Daniel Palencia, dominated the final frames. Palencia sealed the win by inducing a pop-up from Ohtani in the ninth.

More MLB: Meet the New Red Sox: What's Changed — and Why It Matters in 2026

Read full story at source