Havana, March 15 (RHC) – Venezuela and Italy will clash in the semifinals of the VI World Baseball Classic, a duel where Caribbean fire and European audacity will seek to write an immortal page on the diamond.
The South American team defeated Japan 8-5 in Miami, while Italy edged out Puerto Rico 8-6 in Houston, results that secured two memorable qualifications and ignited the stage for an unexpected clash for glory.
Venezuela pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by defeating the powerful Japanese team at IonDepot Park. With blazing bats and composure on the mound, the Vinotinto broke the resistance of the tournament’s most decorated team, the reigning champion, owner of three titles and an undefeated streak in this edition.
The game started like a flash: in the first inning, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani traded home runs, signaling that the drama was set. Later, Ezequiel Tovar and Gleyber Torres gave the South Americans the lead with consecutive doubles, before Japan responded with a ferocious attack capped by a three-run homer from Shota Morishita.
But the game’s fate changed when the stadium roared with a three-run homer by Wilyer Abreu in the sixth inning, a blast that definitively tipped the scales. With solid relief pitching and the win secured by Enmanuel De Jesús, Venezuela sealed a historic victory that puts them on the verge of the final.
In Houston, Italy once again proved that its campaign is no fluke. The team managed by Francisco Cervelli defeated Puerto Rico in a vibrant offensive duel that confirmed the Europeans as the tournament’s biggest surprise.
The game began with a home run by Willi Castro that ignited the stands, but the Italian response was immediate: four runs in the first inning turned the score around and chased starter Seth Lugo from the mound.
The Old Continent’s offense continued its onslaught in the fourth inning with a four-run rally driven in by doubles from Andrew Fischer and J.J. D’Orazio.
Although Puerto Rico threatened a late comeback in the eighth inning, Greg Weissert extinguished the flames and secured the victory. Thus, Italy broke its record in the tournament and reached the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic for the first time, where it will now try to extend its run against a red-hot Venezuela.
