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Juan Soto ties historic WBC mark vs. Venezuela
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- Juan Soto ties historic WBC mark vs. Venezuela
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With a 7-5 win over Venezuela at loanDepot Park on Wednesday night, the Dominican Republic completed the group stage unbeaten at 4-0, and star slugger Juan Soto not only helped his team secure first place in Pool D but also matched a prestigious Dominican Republic record in the 2026 World Baseball Classic .
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Soto opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning, giving the Dominicans an early 2-0 advantage. The blast was Soto's fourth career home run in the tournament, tying Nelson Cruz and Adrian Beltre for the most in Dominican Republic WBC history.
The Dominican Republic's offense relied heavily on the long ball. Ketel Marte , Vladimir Guerrero Jr. , and Fernando Tatis Jr. also homered as all seven runs came via home runs. Guerrero collected three hits in the matchup.
On the mound, relievers Huascar Brazoban, Juan Mejia, Seranthony Dominguez , Dennis Santana , and Camilo Doval combined to hold Venezuela scoreless from the fourth through eighth innings while allowing just two hits. The ninth inning became tense when Venezuela loaded the bases, but Elvis Alvarado closed the game with a double play after a sacrifice fly, and a throwing error reduced the lead to 7-5.
Over four games in the group stage, the Dominican Republic scored 41 runs, surrendered only 10, and launched 13 home runs, building on earlier victories over Nicaragua (12-3), the Netherlands (12-1), and Israel (10-1).
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Both the Dominican Republic and Venezuela entered the matchup undefeated at 3-0 and had already clinched quarterfinal berths. The Dominican Republic will next face South Korea in the quarterfinals, while Venezuela will take on the defending champion Japan.
Related: Team USA makes pitching changes ahead of World Baseball Classic quarterfinals
