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(Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
One of the heroes for Team Venezuela in their impressive 8-5 win over Samurai Japan on March 14 at LoanDepot Park in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic was Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu.
Ronald Acuña Jr. opened the scoring for Venezuela with a lead-off home run. However, that was quickly countered with a lead-off home run from Shohei Ohtani as Japan and Venezuela would exchange leads.
Nonetheless, the biggest home run came from Abreu, who hit a three-run home run in the sixth to give his team the lead for good. After the stunning defeat of the reigning WBC champions, the Red Sox standout spoke postgame with MLB Network and didn’t hold back his thoughts.
“It means a lot,” Abreu told MLB Network’s Siera Santos postgame. “It means a lot for the country. It means a lot for the people. I mean, the vibes here are very high. It’s very exciting to play here in front of all the Venezuelans who are here supporting us. So I’m very excited, very, very happy for this…
“This group is amazing. The guys in the clubhouse are crazy. Everybody likes to be next to each other. So I love my teammates. I love the way that they play. I love everything. So I don’t know. It’s very exciting being there around those guys.”
Wilyer Abreu Talks Go-Ahead Home Run Against Japan
Abreu went 1-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk, and it’s those three RBIs that every Venezuelan will remember. The Red Sox player went into detail about his home run that gave Venezuela the lead and never looked back as they punched their ticket to the semifinal against Team Italy.
“That was an exciting moment,” Abreu told Fox Sports’ Tom Verducci after the game (h/t The Athletic). “I just tried to at least tie the game with a sac fly. He gave me a really good pitch to hit, I made good contact, the ball flies, and I’m very excited for this win and now in the semifinals, I hope I can do the same thing like I did today.”
Abreu said an adjustment was made after earlier fouling off a fastball that came right down the middle of the strike zone during the same at-bat.
“When I saw that pitch, in my mind, I was like, ‘I can’t miss this pitch two times in a row,’ so I just tried to stay more focused and stay on that pitch and then tried to drive the ball,” Abrue added.
Red Sox SP Ranger Suarez Struggles Against Japan
New Red Sox starting pitcher Ranger Suarez had a challenging night. Despite carrying a 1.48 career ERA in the MLB postseason, Suarez struggled against Japan, giving up five runs in only 2 2/3 innings.
The biggest blow came in the third inning when Shota Morishita launched a three-run homer. Nonetheless, Venezuela’s bullpen quickly steadied the game, combining for 6 1/3 scoreless innings and retiring 13 consecutive Japan hitters during one stretch. Meanwhile, Ohtani finished the night 0-for-3 against the Venezuelan relievers after seeing success against Suarez.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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