MIAMI -- While the other four teams in Pool D took the field for their World Baseball Classic openers on Friday, Israel held an off-site workout in preparation for their opener Saturday night.
Venezuela, on the other hand, played early Friday afternoon, using a four-run fifth inning to cruise to a win over the Netherlands, starting out their tournament on a high note.
Can Israel hand Venezuela its first loss in pool play since 2017? Or will Venezuela -- which was led Friday by Luis Arraez and Willson Contreras, each of whom knocked in two runs in the win -- continue its early run as it searches for its first WBC championship?
2026 World Baseball Classic
Pool B (Houston) & Pool D (Miami) presented by Capital One
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“You're playing each team one time,” Israel manager Brad Ausmus said. “It's not like the regular season where it's 162 games and you go into a city or they come to you for three or four games. You've got to go after the other team, and anything can happen in one game. Maybe not best-of-seven, but anything can happen in one game, and that's the approach we have to take.”
Something to watch: Venezuela outfielder Jackson Chourio missed the team’s opener after getting hit on his left hand by a pitch earlier in the week. Manager Omar López said Chourio could be in the lineup Saturday, but it seems more likely that he will be held out until Monday’s game against Nicaragua, as the team has an off-day Sunday. His replacement, Javier Sanoja, hit a home run in the win over the Netherlands.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:
When and where: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park
How you can watch: FS2
How you can listen: There is a free English-language audio stream available for every game.
Probable starting pitchers: RHP Ben Simon (Israel) vs. LHP Enmanuel De Jesus (Venezuela)
What’s at stake: For Venezuela, Saturday’s game is an opportunity to start the Classic with two straight victories. For Israel, it’s the first game of the tournament, and a win would go a long way toward its goal of getting out of pool play for only the second time.
Matchup history: This will be the second meeting between Israel and Venezuela.