Team Israel suffered an 11-3 defeat to Venezuela on Saturday night, in its first World Baseball Classic action at loanDepot Park in Miami, as Venezuela’s powerful lineup built an early lead and never relinquished control.
Venezuela jumped ahead in the opening inning. After Ronald Acuña Jr. reached base, Luis Arraez drove him in with a double before Salvador Perez followed with an RBI single. Moments later, Eugenio Suárez launched a two-run home run to left field, giving Venezuela a quick 4-0 advantage.
Israel struggled to generate offense early against Venezuelan starter Enmanuel De Jesus, who kept Israeli hitters off balance through the first several innings. Israel’s first run came in the fifth inning when catcher Garrett Stubbs tripled and Matt Mervis brought him home with a single to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Israel added another run in the sixth when outfielder RJ Schreck, one of the top prospects for the Toronto Blue Jays, connected for a solo home run to right-center field, narrowing the gap to 5-2.
However, Venezuela responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth with a decisive rally. RBI hits and a three-run homer from Luis Arraez helped the Venezuelans extend their lead to 10-2, putting the game out of reach.
Israel managed one final highlight in the ninth inning when Harrison Bader of the San Francisco Giants blasted a solo home run to center field for the team’s third run of the night.
Despite the loss, Israel recorded seven hits, including the extra-base hits by Stubbs, Schreck, and Bader. Venezuela finished with 14 hits and capitalized on early opportunities to secure the 11-3 victory.
Israel will try to regroup on Sunday night, when it takes on Team Nicaragua in its second WBC game.