Japan suffers shocking collapse to Venezuela in World Baseball Classic

Shohei Ohtani popped out to end the game for Japan. Venezuela advanced to the World Baseball Classic Semifinals.

Shohei Ohtani and his Japanese teammates will not repeat as World Baseball Classic champions after falling apart against Venezuela in the quarterfinal round.

Ohtani’s third home run of the tournament was wasted as Japan saw its 11-game WBC winning streak snapped.

Wilyer Abreu hit a go-ahead, three-run homer after Maikel Garcia sparked the comeback with a two-run shot, and Venezuela beat the defending champions 8-5 on Saturday night.

Venezuela reached its first WBC semis since 2009 and clinched a spot in the six-nation field for the 2028 Olympic baseball tournament, along with the United States and the Dominican Republic.

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Venezuela will face unbeaten Italy on Monday, a day after the U.S. plays the Dominicans.

Abreu gave Venezuela a 7-5 lead when he homered off loser Hiromi Itoh in the sixth, driving a 2-1 four-seam fastball 409 feet to right for his first home run of the tournament. Ezequiel Tovar made it 8-5 in the eighth, leading off with a double then scoring on a throwing error by Atsuki Taneichi on a pickoff attempt.

Ohtani, the 2023 WBC MVP, led off the bottom of the first by lifting a 2-1 slider from Ranger Suárez 427 feet to center after Ronald Acuña Jr. homered on the second pitch from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, driving a fastball 401 feet to right-center for his second home run of the WBC.

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Shohei Ohtani reacts to a strikeout call in the Venezuela game at loanDepot park on March 14, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images)

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