New Headline: Manager Snatches Win, Braves Triumph Over Venezuela in WCBC
Ibata took over as manager for Samurai Japan after the team won the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Team Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata announced that he will step down from his position after the World Baseball Classic. Japan was eliminated from the WBC on Saturday with an 8-5 loss to Venezuela in the tournament quarterfinals. Samurai Japan built a 5-2 lead after three innings, powered by home runs from Shohei Ohtani and Shota Morishita.
"Results are everything,” Ibata said at the team hotel on Sunday, according to Sports Hochi . SHOHEI OHTANI TIES IT UP WITH ONE SWING 🇯🇵 (via @MLBONFOX ) pic. twitter.
com/PYtKp06on8 — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 15, 2026 However, Ronald Acuña Jr. , Maikel Garcia and Wilyer Abreu each hit home runs in the surprising comeback victory. Garcia’s two-run shot cut the deficit to one run and Abreu’s three-run blast in the sixth inning was the decisive blow, giving Venezuela a 7-5 lead.
Ibata, managing in his first WBC, made a questionable decision, as pointed out by Yahoo Sports’ Jake Mintz . The manager opted for soft-throwing left-hander Chihiro Sumida to replace starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the fifth inning. Sumida gave up Garcia’s homer, allowing Venezuela to get back into the game.