MIAMI.- With four home runs from its stars, the Dominican Republic won this Wednesday 7-5 Venezuela at the LoanDepot Park in Miami in a duel that defined the leader of Group D of the World Baseball Classic.
The powerful Quisqueyan ninth, one of the candidates for the title along with Japan and USAremained at the top of the key with a total of four victories.
On Friday they will face in the quarterfinals South Koreaalso in Miami.
Venezuela, second in the group with a record of 3-1, will have to face the current champion Japan on Saturday, led by the superstar of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani.
The group stage of the tournament closed with a bombardment of home runs from the Dominican figures.
The gardener Juan Sotoleader of the New York Metsopened fire with a two-run homer in the opening inning against the Venezuelan starter Eduardo Rodríguez.
Later, the waiter Ketel Marte and the first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. They joined the Dominican cause with a home run each in the third inning.
Tatis Jr. handed down sentence
Powered by four hits from the third baseman Maikel GarciaVenezuela came within just one run in the fourth inning, but Fernando Tatis Jr. He stopped the comeback in its tracks with another spectacular three-run home run.
La Vinotinto brought excitement to the closing of the game at the home of the Miami Marlins with annotations in the last entry of the young man Jackson Chourio and of Ronald Acuña Jr.
But the reliever Elvis Alvaradoof the Athleticssettled the advance when Venezuela had two men in circulation by forcing the receiver Salvador Perez to hit for a double play that put an end to the match.
In this way, the troop led by Albert Pujols They also took revenge against Venezuela, after the delegation led by Acuña Jr. defeated them in the debut of both teams in the last edition of the international competition of the Major League Baseball.
The Dominican Republic maintains its thirst for revenge on the way to the quarterfinals, especially after being eliminated in the first round in 2023.
