Wilyer Abreu belted a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning on Saturday night, powering Venezuela to a stunning 8-5 victory over Japan in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.
Venezuela fell behind early 5-2 in the contest, but Maikel Garcia slugged a two-run homer in the fifth inning that pulled them back to within a run. Then in the sixth, Ezequiel Tovar and Gleyber Torres singled before Abreu pummeled a game-changing 409-foot (108.1 mph EV) three-run blast that sunk the defending champions. That would be his only hit in the three at-bats on the night, though it changed the entire tournament. Next up for Venezuela, is a date with Italy in the semifinals on Monday.