Venezuela has officially eliminated the defending World Baseball Classic champions, securing an 8-5 victory over Japan to advance to the tournament semifinals, according to Jeff Passan.
The game concluded in dramatic fashion as Shohei Ohtani popped out to end the contest, finalizing the exit for the Japanese national team. Venezuela's comeback was fueled by a late-inning surge where they scored six unanswered runs to erase a deficit. The decisive blow came from Wilyer Abreu, who connected on a towering three-run home run to give Venezuela the lead they would not relinquish.
By defeating the reigning champions, Venezuela earns a spot in the semifinals where they are scheduled to face Italy. The semifinal matchup is set to take place this Monday in Miami. Japan, the tournament's defending champion, sees their tournament run come to an end following the powerhouse comeback effort from the Venezuelan squad.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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