MIAMI. – The quarterfinal duel of the 2026 World Baseball Classic between Venezuela and Japan kicked off with a spectacle worthy of a movie this Saturday at loanDepot Park.
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The first blow was delivered by the stellar Venezuelan Ronald Acuña Jr., who punished the second pitch of the Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and hit a home run into the stands of right-center field to put his team ahead just at the beginning of the game.
The connection came off Acuña’s bat at 106.2 miles per hour and traveled 401 feet, giving Venezuela an early lead in their attempt to return to a tournament semifinal for the first time since 2009.
The explosive opening marked a historic event: it’s the first time in World Baseball Classic history that both lead-off hitters of a game started the game with a home run. In total, it has only happened on 13 and 14 combined occasions within the tournament.
Before the start of the game, Ohtani starred in another curious scene by greeting Venezuelan legend Miguel Cabrera, current batting coach for the Venezuelan team.
During the pre-game meeting, the Japanese star rubbed his bat on the outside of Cabrera’s leg, in a humorous gesture that was interpreted as an attempt to “steal the powers” from the historic slugger.
Ohtani, considered one of the most extraordinary talents in modern baseball, has multiple MVP awards, All-Star Game appearances, and World Series championships. However, one of the achievements he still pursues is to conquer the offensive Triple Crown, a feat that Cabrera achieved in 2012.
