Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. combined for a dramatic start to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal, with both players delivering leadoff home runs, the Associated Press reported.
In Venezuela’s 8-5 win on Saturday night, Acuña homered on the second pitch from World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a drive described as traveling 401 feet to right-center. The home run was Acuña’s second of the tournament.
Ohtani then led off the bottom half against Ranger Suárez, sending a 427-foot drive to center on a 2-1 slider. The report said the pitch was clocked at 113.6 mph off Ohtani’s bat.
The Ohtani homer tied the score 1-1 for the defending champions. The Associated Press described Ohtani as watching the ball, flipping his bat, and motioning with both hands to teammates in the third-base dugout after the hit.
The report cited the Elias Sports Bureau for a rarity in World Baseball Classic and other major-league games, saying no regular or postseason game had included leadoff home runs by players who had won MVP awards.
Ohtani, 31, is a four-time MVP who helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to the last two World Series titles, the Associated Press said. Acuña, 28, won the 2023 NL MVP award and helped the Atlanta Braves win a championship in 2021, the report added.