Venezuela secured a convincing 11-3 victory over Israel in its second Pool D game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park in Miami, following a 6-2 win over the Netherlands. Luis Arraez starred, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs.
The game began with Venezuela taking an early lead, as Arraez's double scored Ronald Acuña Jr. for a 1-0 advantage. Salvador Perez followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0, and Eugenio Suárez extended the lead to 4-0 with a home run that landed in the Venezuelan bullpen, forcing Israel starter Ben Simon out of the game.
Israel's bullpen, featuring Charlie Beilenson and Jordan Geber, stabilized the innings through the fourth, preventing further damage. Meanwhile, Venezuela's Enmanuel De Jesus dominated, retiring Israel's first 14 batters. Israel finally got on the board in the fifth when Garrett Stubbs tripled and Matt Mervis drove him in with an infield single, cutting the deficit to 4-1. De Jesus completed five innings, allowing just one run.
Arraez responded with a solo home run against Geber, restoring a four-run lead. RJ Schreck pulled Israel within three with a solo homer to right-center. However, Venezuela surged in the sixth, scoring five runs, highlighted by Arraez's three-run homer off Rob Kaminsky, pushing the score to 10-2.
Arraez's performance marked his second multi-homer game in World Baseball Classic history, making him the first player to achieve that feat more than once. Through two games, he is 5-for-8 with two home runs, two doubles, seven RBIs, and five runs scored. Notably, this was only his second multi-homer game in 840 Major League appearances, both occurring at loanDepot park.
Willson Contreras praised his teammate post-game, saying, “Arraez is a great player... He was born, I would say, in the wrong time, but it's true: Luis Arraez is a great hitter. I just wanted to say that.” Venezuela, seeking to advance from Pool D, next faces Nicaragua on Monday at 7 p.m. ET on FOX. Israel, now 0-1, plays Nicaragua on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on Tubi.
