Venezuela qualify for LA28 Olympics on World Baseball Classic Day 9; Set up semifinal against Italy
Venezuela defeated defending champions Japan 8-5 in the last quarterfinal game, advancing to the World Baseball Classic 2026 semifinals on Monday. They will face Italy, who defeated Puerto Rico 8-6 in the earlier quarterfinal matchup on Saturday. The second semifinal will be played Monday, March 16, at 8:00 pm ET (00:00 GMT on March 17).
Additionally, Venezuela clinched a spot in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, joining the Dominican Republic and hosts USA in the six-team baseball tournament that will be played at Dodger Stadium.
Venezuela, along with the Dominican Republic, secured the two Olympic berths available at the World Baseball Classic to the two best teams from the Americas (excluding host nation USA) by advancing to the WBC semifinals.
The LA28 Olympic Games will mark Venezuela’s first appearance in Olympic baseball. The country missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, falling to the Dominican Republic in the Final Olympic Qualifier in Puebla, Mexico.
The WBSC Premier12 2027 will award the remaining continental berths, with the highest-placed team from Asia and the highest-placed team from Europe or Oceania qualifying for LA28.
A Final Qualification Event, to be held no later than March 2028, will determine the last team in the Olympic baseball tournament.
Earlier on Saturday, World No. 14 Italy defeated No. 7 Puerto Rico at Daikin Park in Houston and will head to the semifinals undefeated. The Azzurri took control of the game with a pair of four-run rallies, taking an 8-2 lead into the eighth. With Puerto Rico making it a two-run game, Greg Weissert came out of the bullpen to save Samuel Aldegheri's win with a five-out save.
Reaching the semifinals is Italy's best result ever in the World Baseball Classic and matches fourth place in the 1998 Baseball World Cup, played on home soil at the dawn of baseball's professional era.
"What we have done represents one of the happiest moments in my life. It's my first World Baseball Classic and we are in the semifinals. You can imagine how I feel. Next up, is the No. 1 in the World. But our mission doesn't change," said Italy's manager Francisco Cervelli.
World Baseball Classic Day 9
| Puerto Rico-Italy | 6-8 | BOX SCORE |
| Venezuela-Japan | 8-5 | BOX SCORE |
QUARTERFINALS
Italy-Puerto Rico 8-6
Italy scored four runs in the bottom of the first, reversing Puerto Rico's 1-0 lead and didn't need to look back. Starter Samuel Aldegheri allowed two runs and earned the win, but the Azzurri's key to the win was their bullpen. Dylan DeLucia pitched four masterful innings and Greg Weissert earned a five-out save.
Puerto Rico scored first. Leadoff hitter Willi Castro homered on starter Samuel Aldegheri's first pitch.
Puerto Rico's right-hander Seth Lugo led off the bottom of the first with a pair of walks. Italy got to him with three consecutive one-out singles by Vinnie Pasquantino, Dominic Canzone and Jac Caglianone, taking a 3-1 lead and sending Lugo to the showers.
J.J. D'Orazio made it a 4-1 game with a sacrifice fly against reliever Jovani Moran.
In the top of the second, Aldegheri loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter. Italy called Alek Jacob from the bullpen. The right-hander hit Martin Maldonado, the first hitter he saw, allowing Puerto Rico's second run, then got out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout.
Italy opened the score in the bottom of the fourth. Eduardo Rivera got two quick outs on strikes, then walked Vinnie Pasquantino and Dominica Canzone. Puerto Rico called Luis Quiñones from the bullpen. The right-hander walked the bases loaded, then allowed Andrew Fischer and J.J. D'Orazio back-to-back two-RBI doubles that extended Italy's lead to 8-2.
Dylan DeLucia pitched four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He used 58 pitches and allowed only two hits.
Puerto Rico used a walk and a defensive error to put runners at the corners with no one out against Dan Altavilla in the top of the seventh. The hard-throwing right-hander retired the side in order to end the threat.
Puerto Rico got back into the game in the top of the eighth.
Carlos Cortes welcomed Matt Festa, Italy's fifth pitcher, with a single. Festa loaded the bases with back-to-back walks and left for Matt La Sorsa. The left-hander got a force out at second, but Cortes scored Puerto Rico's third run on the play. With runners at the corners, Festa hit Bryan Torres, allowed the fourth run on a wild pitch, and Christian Vasquez made it a two-run game with a two-RBI single to right field.
Italy called Greg Weissert from the bullpen. The closer struck out Willi Castro and retired Nolan Arenado on a grounder to third after Darrell Hernaiz's single had put the potential tying run at first.
Carlos Cortes led off the top of the ninth with a single. Weissert struck out Emmanuel Rivera and retired Heliot Ramos and Eddie Rosario on consecutive flyouts, sending Italy to Miami.
"The plan was to attack Lugo because we knew they had four lefties. We also have a bunch of lefties. So the guys followed the plan the way they should," said Cervelli. "There was a lefty, a very complicated lefty, but they tried and tried, and they got him out. And that's how we were able to win the game. That was the plan -- attack Lugo, put a bunch of lefties in the lineup, and that helped."
Venezuela-Japan 8-5
Venezuela knocked out defending champions Japan 8-5 to advance to the World Baseball Classic 2026 semifinals on Monday against Italy.
Ronald Acuña Jr. sent the second pitch of the game from Yoshinobu Yamamoto 401 feet over the right-field fence to give Venezuela an early 1-0 lead. But Japan answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning, when Shohei Ohtani crushed the fourth Venezuelan pitch of the game 427 feet into the centre-field stands.
It marked the first time in World Baseball Classic history that both leadoff hitters homered in the same game, producing a historic opening inning between two of the sport’s biggest stars.
Venezuela regained the lead in the second inning when Ezequiel Tovar and Gleyber Torres hit back-to-back doubles, with Torres driving in Tovar to make it 2-1.
Japan took control of the game in the bottom of the third with a four-run rally. Teruaki Sato doubled to drive in Sosuke Genda, and Shota Morishita followed with a three-run home run, giving Japan a 5-2 lead.
Maikel García brought Venezuela back within a run. With Jackson Chourio on base, he hit a 406-foot home run off Chihiro Sumida, cutting Japan’s lead to 5-4.
In a back-and-forth game, Venezuela took the lead again. With Ezequiel Tovar and Gleyber Torres on base, Wilyer Abreu launched a 409-foot no-doubter to right field, with an exit velocity of 108.1 mph, giving the South Americans a 7-5 advantage.
Venezuela added an insurance run in the top of the eighth. Ezequiel Tovar doubled off Atsuki Taneichi and later scored when the Japanese pitcher attempted a pickoff throw that sailed into centre field, allowing the Venezuelan shortstop to score easily.
Looking ahead to the semifinals
World No. 3 USA will face No. 12 Dominican Republic in the first semifinal at 20:00 local time on Sunday, March 15 (00:00 GMT on Monday, March 16). The probable starters are Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes for USA and Oakland A's right-hander Luis Severino for the Dominican Republic.
The second semifinal is scheduled for Monday, March 16, at 20:00 local time (00:00 GMT on Tuesday, March 17) when Italy will face Venezuela.
loanDepot Park in Miami will host both semifinals.
The Bracket
LA 2028 Qualification Process
The 2026 World Baseball Classic also forms part of the qualification pathway to LA28. The baseball tournament at the Olympic Games will feature six teams.
With USA already qualified as host, the two highest-placed teams from the Americas at the World Baseball Classic also earned quota places at the Olympic tournament. Advancing to the semifinals, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela guaranteed the two LA28 tickets available to the best teams from the Americas.
The remaining qualification tournaments for the baseball tournament at the LA28 Olympic Games are:
WBSC Premier12, November 2027 – 2 teams (1 x Asia, 1 x Europe/Oceania)
This top-tier, elite global battle - expanded from 12 to 16 teams for the first time in 2027 - will qualify the highest placed team from Asia and the highest placed team from Europe or Oceania.
Final Qualification Event, no later than March 2028 – 1 team
The final Olympic Baseball qualifier will be a six-team world tournament for the last remaining place at LA28. Participants will include:
- The two highest placed (but not yet qualified) teams from the latest edition of the Asia Championship
- The two highest placed (but not yet qualified) teams from the latest edition of the European Championship
- The highest place (but not yet qualified) team from the latest edition of the Africa Championship
- The highest placed (but not yet qualified) team from the latest edition of the Oceania Championship
Cover Photo: WBCI/MLB Photos by Getty Images
Categories: Baseball , Baseball Olympic Games 2028 , Men's Baseball , Olympic Baseball , Olympics , World Baseball Classic
