Wilyer Abreu and Maikel Garcia smashed home runs as Venezuela dethroned defending champion Japan 8-5 on Saturday to reach a World Baseball Classic semi-final against undefeated Italy. The South American team will meet the upstart Italians on Monday in Miami for a berth in Tuesday’s championship game against the winner of Sunday’s semi-final between the United States and Dominican Republic.’Amazing’ ItalyA lineup of mostly American-born players with Italian heritage seized an 8-2 edge before hanging on late.
“It’s amazing,” Italy and Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “What a group of guys. I think we’ve known each other for 12 days now. It’s phenomenal the work this group has put in.”
The Italians, who stunned the star-studded United States in group play, gave up a Willi Castro leadoff homer for Puerto Rico in the first, but Pasquantino drove in a run to launch a four-run Italy outburst in the first.
Puerto Rico pulled a run back in the second but four more Italian runs in the fourth were enough to hold off a four-run eighth by Puerto Rico.
Boston Red Sox reliever Greg Weissert held his nerve in the ninth to claim the last three outs as the Azzurri advanced.
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