After the Dominican Republic and the US both punched their tickets to the WBC semifinals on Friday night, Saturday saw the following matchups: Puerto Rico vs. Italy, and Venezuela vs. Japan. Here’s how the games played out.
Quarterfinals Game 3: Italy 8, Puerto Rico 6
Even though Puerto Rico’s 2026 WBC campaign was marred by insurance issues before it had even started, they nevertheless earned their spot in the quarterfinals with an impressive 3-1 record in a very competitive Pool A. Their spunk was on full display Friday night against Italy as they nearly overcame a six-run deficit. However, their comeback attempt fell just short, and it’s hard not to wonder how things might have played out differently if Francisco Lindor and/or Carlos Correa had been in the lineup.
It’s also important to give credit where credit is due. Italy’s lineup put up a hitting clinic, generating constant traffic on the bases by drawing walks and capitalizing on seemingly every RISP situation. Meanwhile, manager Francisco Cervelli’s proactive managing paid dividends, as the bullpen shut the Puerto Ricans down in the middle innings after an early hook for starter Sam Aldegheri. Although it got dicey towards the end, a gutsy performance from erstwhile Yankee Greg Weissert got Team Italy over the finish line.
Puerto Rico drew first blood with a Willi Castro leadoff homer, nearly tearing off the roof of Daikin Park. Seriously, the hype generated from these WBC crowds is nothing short of spine-tingling.
However, Italy came right back and then some in the bottom of the first. After Sam Antonacci and Jakob Marsee reached via walks, Vinnie Pasquantino continued his recent tear with an RBI single to knot things at 1-1.
Dominic Canzone and Jac Caglianone chipped in with singles of their own, each driving in a run. With two men on base, an Andrew Fischer walk loaded the bases for Best Name in the WBC contender J.J. D’Orazio, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right to make the score 4-1 Italy.
It seemed like it might be smooth sailing for Italy, but starter Sam Aldegheri could not deliver. After starting off the top of the second by getting Emmanuel Rivera to pop out, the Angels prospect allowed back-to-back walks to Heliot Ramos and Eddie Rosario before hitting Matthew Lugo to load the bases. Cervelli called on Alek Jacob to put out the fire, but his very first pitch connected with Martín Maldonado’s thigh, netting Puerto Rico their second run of the game. However, Jacob then retired Willi Castro and Darell Hernaiz to preserve Italy’s lead.
The score would stay 4-2 Italy until the bottom of the fourth. Despite starting the inning with two strikeouts from Thomas Saggese and Jakob Marsee, Italy refused to let the frame end. Pasquantino, Canzone, and Caglianone drew three straight walks to fill up the bases, setting the stage for Andrew Fischer. The Brewers’ 2025 first-round pick drove a ball to right field which looked like a bases-clearing double off the wall, but before it could fulfill its destiny, an overzealous fan in the bleachers reached down and snagged it.
Friends, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, just keep your hands to yourself. It’s the best thing to do for everyone involved.
The umpires ruled that two runs were to score, potentially costing Team Italy a run and souring the vibes of what should have been an exciting moment. Fortunately for them (and for the aforementioned fan), J.J. D’Orazio washed the bad feeling away like a refreshing digestivo, hammering an automatic double to right field to make it 8-2 Italy.
The score would remain unchanged for the next three innings, thanks largely to a heroic relief performance from Italy right-hander Dylan DeLucia. Having entered the game in the third, DeLucia blanked Puerto Rico for four, count ‘em, four innings, allowing just two hits and walking no one while striking out three. He was relieved by Dan Altavilla in the seventh, who pitched around a leadoff walk and a Pasquantino error to post a scoreless frame.
Matt Festa came on for the eighth inning, seeking to continue the trend; however, Puerto Rico greeted him with a gutsy rally. Carlos Cortes led off with a single, and Emmanuel Rivera and Heliot Ramos each drew walks, loading the bases. Having failed to record a single out, Festa exited the game, and Joe La Sorsa was summoned to defuse the situation. La Sorsa managed to induce a groundball from Eddie Rosario, which scored a run but also allowed Italy to get a force out to second base. But he then proceeded to plunk Bryan Torres and throw a wild pitch to Christian Vázquez, allowing Puerto Rico’s fourth run of the game and putting runners on second and third.
Vázquez proceeded to poke a grounder into right field, continuing Puerto Rico’s unlikely comeback and sending their faithful into a frenzy.
However, that would be it for Puerto Rico’s rally. Greg Weissert entered the game for Italy and stemmed the tide, escaping the frame with a two-run lead. With the score now 8-6 Italy, Edwin Díaz came on for Puerto Rico to ensure that the game stayed within reach. Although a HBP to Sam Antonacci and a walk to Pasquantino made things dicey, ultimately Díaz was up to the task, striking out Canzone to end the frame.
Weissert stayed on for the ninth, and although Cortes led off the inning with a single, Weissert retired the next three batters in order to seal the deal for Italy. The teammate-kissing, espresso-swigging squad’s magical run continues, and I’m excited to see what they can pull off next.
Quarterfinals Game 4: Venezuela 8, Japan 5
In what was arguably the most evenly matched showdown of the quarterfinals, Venezuela flexed their muscles en route to a 8-5 victory over the defending champions Japan, overcoming a shaky start from Ranger Suarez to make their way into the semifinals and clearing the path for a tremendous final.
Many predicted this game to be one of the best games of the tournament, and it wasted no time in living up to its promise. On just the second pitch of the night, the always electric Ronald Acuña Jr. tattooed an uncharacteristic meatball from 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, sending it into the right-field stands for Venezuela’s first run. You’ll want to hear the crowd reaction for this one:
However, not to be outdone, Shohei Ohtani responded in typical fashion, stroking a 2-1 hanging slider from Ranger Suarez 427 feet to right field to even the score.
If you’re not following the WBC, you’re missing out on some pretty compelling baseball, folks.
Venezuela continued to showcase their dangerous lineup in the second, earning a 2-1 lead via consecutive doubles from Ezequiel Tovar and Gleyber Torres. Wilyer Abreu kept the line going with a walk, but Yamamoto dug deep and denied Venezuela any further damage, retiring the next three batters to end the inning.
Yamamoto clearly did not have his best stuff or his usual pristine command, but he battled hard, working around a leadoff double from Maikel Garcia to post a scoreless top of the third. Japan’s lineup would reward him handsomely in their half of the inning. After Sosuke Genda led off with a walk, manager Hirokazu Ibata made sabermetricians around the globe wince by electing to have Kenya Wakatsuki lay down a sacrifice bunt, which he successfully did. With first base now open, Puerto Rico skipper Yadier Molina had Suarez intentionally walk Ohtani, choosing to roll the dice with Teruaki Sato instead.
Sato, who led the Central League in homers and RBI last year with the Hanshin Tigers, showed exactly why he’s one of the most feared hitters in NPB, scorching a grounder down the right-field line for a double, scoring Genda. Japan had evened the score yet again, 2-2.
Enter Shota Morishita, fellow Hanshin Tiger, who started the game on the bench but came in to replace Seiya Suzuki, who injured his knee on a stolen base attempt in the third. Morishita nearly dropped to one knee swinging at a 2-2 changeup in the bottom of the zone, but he managed to get the barrel on it, sending it flying into the left field stands for a three-run dinger. Just like that, it was 5-2, Japan.
It seemed like a crushing blow for Venezuela, but they did not take it sitting down. Although Yamamoto set them down in order in the fourth, they would not let Japan’s bullpen enjoy the same success. Chihiro Sumida entered in the fifth and promptly walked the normally free-swinging Jackson Chourio on five pitches. Acuña struck out, but Maikel Garcia cashed in, clobbering a two-run homer to left field to make it 5-4 Japan.
Venezuela would deliver another haymaker in the sixth. Facing Hiromi Itoh, recipient of the 2025 Eiji Sawamura Award (Japan’s Cy Young), Tovar and Torres began the frame with back-to-back singles. Abreu then unloaded on a 91-mph middle-middle meatball, parking it into the second deck in right field. Venezuela had turned the game on its head, now leading 7-5 on the strength of the Red Sox outfielder.
On the other side of the ball, Venezuela’s bullpen, considered by many to be their weakest link, stifled the Japanese offense. From the fourth inning onward, relievers Emmanuel De Jesus, José Buttó, Angel Zerpa, Andrés Machado, and Daniel Palencia were unhittable, holding Japan to just three knocks and a walk, while striking out a combined eight batters. Slowly but surely, they recorded out after out, denying the Japanese fans any hope of a comeback. By the time that Venezuela was gifted an eighth run due to a botched pickoff attempt from Atsuki Taneichi in the top of the eighth, the game felt all but over.
In the previous WBC, Team Japan’s run ended with Ohtani on the mound, throwing a perfect 3-2 sweeper to induce a championship-clinching whiff from Mike Trout. As fate would have it, Ohtani was the last batter up for the 2026 squad. However, as great as he is, Ohtani can’t score three runs all by himself. Palencia gave him the pitch he wanted—a 2-1 fastball middle-in, right in his wheelhouse—but he just got under the Cubs closer’s offering, and the resulting pop fly was secured by Ezequiel Tovar.
Venezuela faced a tall task in facing Japan, but they passed the test with flying colors, led by an absolutely electric offensive performance and clutch pitching from their bullpen. If they keep this up, I really can’t see why they shouldn’t win the whole darn thing. Though Japan’s loss certainly stings, I’ll be following this Venezuela squad with great interest for the rest of the WBC.
Next up tonight? Paul Skenes and Team USA against old friend Luis Severino and the Dominican Republic, both with loaded lineups behind them and a WBC Championship Game appearance on the line. Buckle up for 8pm ET on FS1.
Raphielle Johnson
